An East Kingston man who has served as a volunteer firefighter was arrested Tuesday for allegedly setting two fires in the hamlet, including one that destroyed a former church, according to town police.
Michael D. Watzka, 29, was arrested on a warrant about 11 a.m. and charged with two counts of arson and one count of criminal mischief, all felonies, police said. He additionally was charged with the misdemeanors of arson and criminal contempt.
The arrest came several weeks after Watzka was indicted by an Ulster County grand jury, according to town of Ulster Police Chief Kyle Berardi.
Berardi said Watzka was “at one time a fireman” in East Kingston but was unsure if the suspect was active in the department at the time of the arrest.