AUGUSTA — The Winslow man suspected of starting a fire in a real estate office in that town early Sunday was carrying an engraved globe trophy from 2012 Dancing with the Realtors, Season 2, when he was arrested, according to police.
Victor Dudley, 48, was in court Friday via video from the Kennebec County jail to hear a judge tell him he is charged with arson, burglary, criminal mischief and theft. The arson charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
Dudley told the judge he did not need the charges read in their entirety.
“I understand them perfectly,” Dudley said.
He was represented by attorney Stephen Bourget as attorney of the day.
Judge Eric Walker continued the $15,000 cash bail set originally by the bail commissioner and told Dudley his next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 4.
Dudley was arrested on the charges Thursday while he was already at the jail serving a seven-day sentence for violating conditions of release on prior charges.
The complaint filed at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta accuses Dudley of setting a fire at Century 21 Nason Realty, Inc. at 11 Bay St., Winslow, with the intent to damage or destroy property.
Conditions of bail prohibit Dudley from contact with the real estate office and any employees there.
An affidavit by Kenneth MacMaster, senior fire investigator with the state fire marshal’s office, says the fire — which had extinguished itself — and the break-in were reported to Winslow police at 1:15 p.m. Sunday.
MacMaster said the building owner had stopped in to check the building that day and saw real estate paperwork outside on the ground. Inside, she found items in disarray as well as the remains of a fire and the smell of smoke. MacMaster wrote that police located bloodstains as well as smashed window glass from a second-floor entry door.
MacMaster said that because of the amount of blood found, Winslow police officers contacted local hospitals and other agencies to see if anyone had been treated for that recently.
Later that afternoon, Waterville police reported that Dudley was identified as a suspect in the theft of a mini-bike from Tractor Supply in Waterville about 4 a.m. Sunday after they viewed surveillance video.
Police located Dudley as he was walking along College Avenue in Waterville. He told officers he was living in a tent off Cool Street and had gone to MaineGeneral Medical Center at 4 a.m. that day, but later said he was mistaken.
Dudley eventually told police he had stolen the mini-bike, according to MacMaster.
MacMaster said Dudley “had cuts on the base of his right wrist/palm, which were consistent with someone breaking a window.”
MacMaster said Dudley told police he had taken items from the “library” in Winslow and gave MacMaster two trophies, including one with the name Bart Stevens engraved on it. Stevens is the broker-owner of Century 21 Nason Realty. Later MacMaster said Dudley had several plastic gold-colored coins similar to those MacMaster saw at the realty office as well as items belonging to associate brokers at the office.
MacMaster also said Dudley smelled as if he had been drinking.
When another fire investigator went to speak to Dudley at the jail on Monday, Dudley declined to talk and requested a lawyer. However, Dudley did make a statement that he “did not intend for the place to burn down,” MacMaster wrote.
MacMaster said MaineGeneral Medical Center documents with Dudley’s name on them were found at the real estate office.
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
Twitter: @betadams
Send questions/comments to the editors.
