A Portsmouth man with a lengthy rap sheet was arrested for allegedly torching a Newport condominium complex early Thursday, leaving two families homeless, authorities said.
Joseph Fragata was taken into custody at his home Thursday night after investigators tied him to the fire that ripped through the Misty Harbor Condominiums on Narragansett Avenue around 4 a.m., police said.
Firefighters from multiple towns battled the raging inferno, containing it to three of the 14 units, though four others suffered smoke and water damage. Miraculously, no one was injured.
Investigators quickly ruled out an electrical fire and discovered an accelerant near the point of origin, officials said. Surveillance footage then led detectives straight to Fragata, whose criminal history spans Massachusetts, according to police.
Authorities executed a search warrant, seizing his cellphone and vehicle as evidence. Fragata was slapped with a first-degree arson charge and is set to be arraigned Friday in Newport District Court.
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