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Irregular News for 12.27.05
Washington -- A 22-year-old Kent man has been charged with first-degree arson for allegedly stripping naked and setting fire to his clothes inside an elevator at the Westin Hotel in downtown Bellevue.
Security officers had to physically restrain Gregory Berrie Lynn when they found him naked about 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 13 inside an open elevator in the new hotel at Lincoln Square, charging papers state.
They were responding to a fire alarm when one of the guards saw smoke coming from the elevator pavilion. He went inside to get a better look and saw flames coming out of the west elevator. He then saw a naked man dancing around the flames and holding his hands out to them as if to warm them up.
Prosecutors said the guard grabbed a fire extinguisher and shouted at the man to get out of the way. The man ignored him, so the guard pushed him out and extinguished the flames.
Police arrived to find the naked man on the floor where the guards had handcuffed him. "Get off of me," was all he would say, the charging papers state.
A medic at the scene tried to examine the man, but was only able to determine that he had an elevated heart rate. The man similarly refused to cooperate with the medics, and he was taken to Overlake Hospital because of a suspicion that he was on some kind of a drug.
Prosecutors said Lynn later admitted he had smoked a small amount of methamphetamine before entering the hotel. He said he started the fire by pouring nail polish remover on his clothes and lighting it with matches.
Lynn told investigators he knew there were people in the hotel, so he set the fire in an elevator because he didn't want anyone to get hurt.
Police later contacted the man's mother, who told them her son lives in a group home in Bellevue and suffers from autism and psychotic episodes. Her son also regularly refused to take his medication, and had recently started wearing dresses and high heels.
Fire officials estimated damage to the elevator was at least $2,000.
Lynn is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Dec. 28.
Full Story
Washington -- A 22-year-old Kent man has been charged with first-degree arson for allegedly stripping naked and setting fire to his clothes inside an elevator at the Westin Hotel in downtown Bellevue.
Security officers had to physically restrain Gregory Berrie Lynn when they found him naked about 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 13 inside an open elevator in the new hotel at Lincoln Square, charging papers state.
They were responding to a fire alarm when one of the guards saw smoke coming from the elevator pavilion. He went inside to get a better look and saw flames coming out of the west elevator. He then saw a naked man dancing around the flames and holding his hands out to them as if to warm them up.
Prosecutors said the guard grabbed a fire extinguisher and shouted at the man to get out of the way. The man ignored him, so the guard pushed him out and extinguished the flames.
Police arrived to find the naked man on the floor where the guards had handcuffed him. "Get off of me," was all he would say, the charging papers state.
A medic at the scene tried to examine the man, but was only able to determine that he had an elevated heart rate. The man similarly refused to cooperate with the medics, and he was taken to Overlake Hospital because of a suspicion that he was on some kind of a drug.
Prosecutors said Lynn later admitted he had smoked a small amount of methamphetamine before entering the hotel. He said he started the fire by pouring nail polish remover on his clothes and lighting it with matches.
Lynn told investigators he knew there were people in the hotel, so he set the fire in an elevator because he didn't want anyone to get hurt.
Police later contacted the man's mother, who told them her son lives in a group home in Bellevue and suffers from autism and psychotic episodes. Her son also regularly refused to take his medication, and had recently started wearing dresses and high heels.
Fire officials estimated damage to the elevator was at least $2,000.
Lynn is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Dec. 28.
Full Story