Homeless man faces years in prison after admitting to ‘fun’ Lake Street dumpster fire spree in Uptown

A 62-year-old homeless man is facing years in prison after admitting he torched several dumpsters on Lake Street in Minneapolis “for fun,” including one that spread to a building with retail outlets and apartments.

Bennett James Thomas agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to first-degree arson in connection with setting five dumpster fires July 22 along W. Lake Street.

The plea agreement between the prosecution and the defense calls for Bennett to receive a sentence of slightly more than four years. With credit for time in jail since his arrest, he is expected to serve the first 2½ years of his term in prison and the balance on supervised release. Bennett remains jailed ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 25.

According to the criminal complaint:

Firefighters responded to an address in the 900 block of W. Lake Street in Uptown that included a business and four apartments. They saw the blaze’s origin was a dumpster in back. The flames and smoke significantly damaged the building and a parked vehicle.

Eight people who lived in the four units were asleep when the fire was set. They got out safely, but their possessions were destroyed. Total damage from the fire was estimated to exceed $200,000.

Soon afterward, another dumpster fire broke out on the same side of Lake at the Moxy Hotel in the 1100 block. Then came three more fires in dumpsters nearby.

Two hotel employees said they saw on security video a man wearing a towel on his head and carrying a grill lighter. Investigators saw him loitering nearby with the lighter and had him arrested.

Thomas told police that “he lights trash cans on fire for fun,” the complaint read.

While police were taking him to jail, Thomas told an officer he threw a Molotov cocktail through a window because someone spit in his food. He added that he and his girlfriend were in the city goofing around and setting fires.