By Eric Francis

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION - A Hartford, Vermont man who was let go a year ago by the property management company that owns the MeadowBrook Village apartments in West Lebanon is now suspected of starting the fire there early Sunday morning that destroyed the maintenance building at the complex.

Micah Bouton, 37, is also accused of breaking into Lou’s Restaurant in downtown Hanover not long after the fire began and stealing $547 in cash from the business, police claimed in an affidavit filed with courts in Vermont as they sought Bouton’s extradition Monday. In a press release, Hanover police add that Bouton is a suspect in several incidents of graffiti downtown over the weekend.

Lebanon Police said their investigation into the blaze, which gutted the two-and-half-story barn-like structure, intensified throughout the day on Sunday and ultimately culminated in Bouton’s arrest in Hartford later in the afternoon.  Bouton was lodged overnight in the Springfield VT prison as a fugitive from justice and on Monday afternoon, during a brief hearing that was held before Judge Michael Kainen in Brattleboro, he waived extradition back to New Hampshire to face felony arson and burglary charges.

A resident of MeadowBrook Village told investigators that she was awakened around 1 a.m. Sunday morning by “a really loud crashing noise” and what looked like vehicle headlights in the distance.  She reported hearing “explosive sounds, almost like loud fireworks” before she noticed a small flame coming from one side of the maintenance barn that sits at the end of the driveway that services the 96-unit complex. The resident placed the first 911 call reporting the fire at 1:20 am.

At 1:50 am, a half hour later, Hanover police called in a break-in at Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery, after officers patrolling downtown noticed a broken window pane. In an affidavit, they said they were able to identify the burglar as Bouton because he was captured in the act on surveillance camera video. Police quickly spotted an unoccupied grey Subaru Forester parked nearby that was registered to Bouton, but after canvasing the area they did not see anyone and the vehicle was gone when they returned to the parking lot.

New Hampshire authorities quickly identified Bouton as their suspect in the crimes and issued an arrest warrant that was served by the Hartford Police Department.