NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A serial arsonist was arrested two days in a row and issued desk appearance tickets each time for setting fire to trash cans in Midtown.
Armando Calderon, 66, set fire to a trash can at West 31st Street and Eighth Avenue on Monday and another at Penn Station on Tuesday, according to the New York Post.
He was arrested in 2012 for setting 15 trash cans on fire over the course of two weeks, CBS New York reported.
Calderon has more than 78 prior misdemeanor charges dating back to 1982, and, based on his court record, seems to have a history of severe mental illness.
A judge dismissed 10 of his misdemeanor charges in December 2021 after he was found unfit to stand trial.
If someone charged with a crime is unable to communicate with a lawyer, understand the charges they face or understand the consequences of conviction, they can be found unfit.
This usually results in involuntary commitment to a mental institution, though it’s unclear if Calderon was committed in December.
Related
Related
