CORTLAND, N.Y. – A Virgil man was arrested by the city of Cortland Police Department on Monday for allegedly trying to set a building on fire.
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Antonio Knuston
Antonio Knuston, 19, of 2809 South Cortland Virgil Road, faces charges of second-degree arson, a class B felony, and first-degree reckless endangerment, a class D felony.
On Friday, Nov. 20, Knuston went to an apartment building at 8 South Ave. in the city of Cortland with an envelope and several matches in his pocket, according to police.
Knuston had previously been staying with a friend at the apartment building who sold his possessions for weed, Knuston would later tell police.
Knuston went around to the front of the building, set the envelope on fire and put it in a hole in the wall, according to court documents. He walked by the building two or more times after he lit the envelope, expressing relief that the building did not catch on fire, he told police.
Several tenants later notified the owner of the building that someone tried to set the building on fire. The owner checked video surveillance and police were able to identify Knuston as a suspect.
"I know what I did was wrong I was just mad," Knuston told police.
Knuston arraigned on the charges Monday and sent to Cortland County Jail on $20,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond.
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