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<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; State police Wednesday charged a man with setting fire to an apartment building on Main Street in Laflin while his father was sleeping inside.</p><p>Vincent James Azat, 42, set the blaze in the kitchen and living room area on the first floor of 24 Main St. just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to court records.</p><p>Responding firefighters found heavy fire on the first-floor of the two-unit apartment building.</p><p>The first floor was vacant while Azat&#8217;s father, James Azat, 73, was sleeping in a second-floor apartment. James Azat escaped without injury but a dog died.</p><p>According to a criminal complaint:</p><p>Azat stood behind the building while firefighters battled the blaze. While holding a butane lighter and a cordless drill, Azat approached Laflin Assistant Fire Chief Mark Malvizzi and kept saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry.&#8221;</p><p>State police deputy fire marshal Karri Dodson determined the fire originated in the first-floor kitchen and living room area of the unoccupied apartment. </p><p>Azat was arraigned by District Judge Michael Dotzel in Wilkes-Barre Township on three counts of arson and related offenses, and one count each of reckless burning and criminal mischief.</p><p>During the brief court proceeding, Azat said he lived at 24 Main St. in Laflin.</p><p>Azat was released on $50,000 unsecured bail and is expected to reside with relatives on Parsonage Street in Pittston.</p><p>Property records list Kerry Kocher, of Bear Creek Township, as owner of the Main Street apartment.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Vincent Azat is escorted into District Judge Michael Dotzel&#8217;s courtroom Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/web1_Vincent-Azat-05162018.jpg</photo0><caption0>Vincent Azat is escorted into District Judge Michael Dotzel&#8217;s courtroom Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre Township. </caption0><photoCredit0>Ed Lewis | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Man charged with setting Laflin building fire