A man accused of setting fire to two historic buildings on Broad Street and bragging about it remains behind bars after a Richmond County judge set his bond at $45,000.
Cameron Michael Perkins, 33, was arrested in the early morning hours of Sept. 18 after deputies responded to a blaze in the 1100 block of Broad Street.
No one was injured, but the fire heavily damaged two long-vacant buildings built in the 1890s. Owner Naman Hotels recently proposed demolishing them for a parking lot and future hotel project.
The fire investigation, which is ongoing, delayed action by the Historic Preservation Commission on the hotel and parking proposal last month.
A commission member and city staffer remarked the buildings were improperly secured and subject to “demolition by neglect” due to factors such as trespassing.
Perkins faces several charges including first-degree arson, terroristic threats and acts, impersonating a public officer, obstruction of law enforcement and criminal damage to property.
A witness told police a tall man (Perkins is 6’6”) was walking around the building before the fire and told her, “we lit that; gonna to it again tomorrow,” according to an incident report.
Perkins was caught after a short foot chase behind Pizza Joint across Broad Street. Deputies found a lighter in his pocket and a nearly-empty bottle of tequila near the arrest site, the report said.
Perkins told deputies questioning him he was an FBI agent. He denied setting the fire but said he ran from deputies because he was scared.
Prosecutors urged the court not to grant bond, arguing Perkins poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk.
Perkins has multiple prior drug charges in New Hampshire, Augusta Circuit Assistant District Attorney Stetson Cromer said.
Perkins gave authorities a Greene Street homeless shelter as his address. He has been in Augusta for about three months, receives Social Security income and has been staying with a friend, Public Defender Kate Mason told the court.
Superior Court Judge Charles Lyons set bond at $22,000 for the arson charge and $5,700 for terroristic threats, bringing the total to $45,000 with other charges included.
Lyons imposed additional conditions, ordering him to observe a curfew and stay away from the burned buildings if released.
