North Bay police report a pair of unusual incidents yesterday that led to the arrest of a North Bay man.
Police say at 3 a.m. on January 18, a man broke into a residence on Fraser Street by smashing a large exterior window.
While inside, the thief ate several items of food before leaving. As a result of the damage to the exterior window, the water pipes froze, resulting in significant damage to the home.
Then in the early evening police believe the same man went to a home on Cassells Street and knocked on the front door. He was met by the victim who lived there. The visitor assaulted the victim and made threats to damage the residence.
The man then poured a liquid accelerant on the front porch and lit it causing a fire. Police say the victim was able to extinguish the fire, then called police.
A witness at the time saw the man travel from the Cassells Street residence to another on Fraser Street. The same place he had earlier committed the break-in.
Police arrived, and a victim who was a resident at that location, confirmed the presence of the man. Police arrested him. The victims and accused in this incident are not known to one another.
Later that evening while in police custody, police say the man assaulted two officers. The officers sustained minor physical injuries as a result.
Nathan Christopher Madison, 34, is charged with:
- Break, enter a dwelling-house – commit an indictable offense
- Uttering threats – damage property
- Fail to comply with a probation order
- Arson – disregard for human life
- Two counts of assaulting a peace officer
- Theft Under $5,000
Madison is currently in custody awaiting a bail hearing at the North Bay Courthouse.
He is known to police. Back in 2011 Madison was charged by Sault Ste. Marie police with numerous firearm offenses including "Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose," after he was found with a stolen sawed-off shotgun that he had been discharging at a Soo Tim Hortons. A search by officers found 31 methamphetamine pills on him.
