Samuel Dubin accused of setting two fires in Dennis
DENNIS - He faces numerous arson charges, breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property as 28-year-old Samuel Dubin is accused of setting two fires in Dennis in the area of Lower County Road.
"Officers got down there and determined suspicious activity, somebody set it," said Lt. Peter Benson with Dennis Police.
Two sheds were burned to the ground and damage to the surrounding homes on properties that are seasonal rentals and largely unoccupied this time of year. That caught the attention of neighbors like Don Malo.
"It's after the season and no one is there. If a fire started in a duplex there it could wipe out the whole neighborhood very easily," said Benson.
Police had been looking for Dubin after his parents called asking for a wellness check at a room where he had been staying, and suggesting he may have a firearm. That's when police became immediately concerned and set up a perimeter around the fire scenes. Holes in a nearby fence suggested possible gunfire, though a weapon was never found.
But it was determined for a time that firefighters might need protection themselves from a possible ambush, fortunately a threat that never materialized. "For an officer to show up with information about a possible firearm, seeing holes that resemble bullet holes, a good officer will take precautions," said Benson.
Dubin was found walking in the area and taken into custody with police saying the situation could have been worse. "We could have lost houses, multiple houses instead of a couple of sheds," said Benson.
Dubin has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and faces a dangerousness hearing Friday.