West Hartford arson suspect ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail after early morning Kane Street condo blaze

Aug. 28--A West Hartford man accused of setting fire to his unit at a Kane Street condo complex early Tuesday morning smelled of gasoline and had black soot around his nose and mouth when police found him a short distance from his burning apartment, according to an arrest warrant.

Daigin Mosby, 38, was dressed in a hospital gown for his arraignment on a first-degree arson charge Wednesday afternoon in Superior Court in Hartford. Citing his potential danger to the public, Judge Ann E. Lynch left Mosby's bail at $500,000, the amount set by the judge who signed the warrant Tuesday evening. He was placed on a mental health and medical watch.

West Hartford police and fire investigators quickly keyed in on Mosby as the person who set the fire that heavily damaged the building at 100 Kane St. early Tuesday. The fire damaged eight to 10 units, authorities said, and displaced most of the residents of the 40-unit building. No injuries were reported to anyone other than Mosby, who suffered smoke inhalation and burns.

The fire at Westwood Condominiums was reported about 2:45 a.m. and the first police officers to arrive say fire coming from Mosby's unit, C7 on the building's third floor. The officer also saw a burning gasoline can on the ground beneath the windows of unit C7. Police also found a household smoke alarm on the grass near the gas can.

As police and firefighters worked to evacuate the building, firefighters from Engine 1 on Prospect Avenue forced their way into unit C7 and found that a bedroom was fully involved in fire.

A resident of the unit directly below Mosby's told police that she was awakened by footsteps in the unit above hers, then saw a flaming gas can get tossed through the window of the unit above hers. She said she then smelled smoke.

Another neighbor who lives on the third floor told police that for about two days he smelled "lighter fluid or kerosene in the hallway of the third floor" near Mosby's unit but "did not notice anything suspicious and didn't think anything of the odor until the fire occurred." That resident did describe Mosby as "reclusive."

Another resident told police he smelled "a strong odor of plastic and kerosene" starting at about 10 p.m. Monday night.

As police and firefighters worked to evacuate the building and put out the fire, other officers found Mosby in the parking lot of the nearby Kane Street Plaza. Police said Mosby was "extremely agitated, sweating profusely and uncooperative with police." Police detained Mosby and he began to scream obscenities. Police said he showed signs of being under the influence of narcotics.

Mosby was taken to Hartford Hospital on an emergency mental health committal. At the hospital, police seized his clothing and a backpack.

When police went to the hospital to try to question Mosby they "observed a strong odor of gasoline emanating from" him. He also had blisters and peeled skin, indicative of burns, on his right hand and peeling skin on his right shin. The hair on his forearms also appeared to be burned, police said. Police also observed soot around his mouth and nose.

Mosby asked for a lawyer and refused to talk to police. He has a history of convictions for drunken driving and promoting prostitution.

Police obtained search warrants for Mosby's clothing and for the damaged building at 100 Kane St. Inside the building, a state police accelerant sniffing dog named Glimmer alerted investigators to two spots in Mosby's bedroom and one elsewhere in the apartment. Police also found lighters and matches in the unit, and Fire Marshal Michael Sinsigalli determined the fire was set.

Later, the dog pointed investigators to both of Mosby's socks, both shoes and one shirt.

His criminal case was continued to Sept. 16. In addition to arson, he faces charges of first-degree reckless endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief.

West Hartford Fire Chief Greg Priest said about 12 units were damaged by fire, smoke or water. Power was restored to the building Tuesday night, allowing some people to stay in their homes, he said. The town and Red Cross opened a shelter at the Elmwood Community Center.

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He praised the firefighters who were first on the scene with jumping on the fire and having it mostly extinguished within minutes, preventing further damage to units above the one where the fire started.

"Within a couple of minutes of getting the call they get the fire knocked down," Priest said.

A fire in an occupied apartment building, especially during the early morning hours, is a challenge for firefighters for a variety of reasons, Priest said. It was lucky that neighbors helped alert each other to evacuate the building, he said.

David Owens can be reached at dowens@courant.com.

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