AUGUSTA — A Winslow man was arrested in the Kennebec County jail on Thursday on charges that he tried to burn down a real estate office in that town.

Victor Dudley, 48, is accused of arson, burglary, theft by unauthorized taking and criminal mischief, all of which occurred on Sunday, according to Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Dudley had just been seen at the Capital Judicial Center via video from the Kennebec County jail on Monday and Wednesday, when he pleaded guilty to three charges of violating condition of release and was ordered to serve seven days.

Now he is likely to be seen again on Friday via video on the new charges. However, a complaint with the new charges was unavailable Thursday at the courthouse.

The news release from McCausland says Dudley broke into the Century 21 offices at 11 Bay St., Winslow, early Sunday. It says real estate agents coming in later that day discovered the office ransacked and the remains of a small fire that had been started on a desk. The release said the fire had gone out by itself.

Winslow police and investigators with the state fire marshal’s office determined that Dudley was responsible, according to McCausland.

Dudley had been charged in June 2017 with aggravated assault in an attack in Winslow that left a woman hospitalized. He pleaded guilty Nov. 8, 2017, to an assault charge.

In March 2017, he was charged with burglary after police reported finding him inside a closed Tim Hortons eatery on Main Street in Waterville. He told police at the time he went in to keep warm.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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