An Island man was ordered held on $15,000 bail Monday, following an alleged weekend crime spree that included setting fires, breaking into houses and vandalizing gravestones in Oak Bluffs.
Benjamin Fogg, 33, was charged with 17 separate offenses at his arraignment in Edgartown district court Monday morning. His last known Island residence was Vineyard Haven.
Cape and Islands assistant district attorney Katie Sugermeyer asked for $10,000 bail, after outlining the allegations in a police report, citing a long history of arrests, convictions, time served and probation. Mr. Fogg was recently released from the Worcester County house of correction after serving time for larceny.
According to Ms. Sugermeyer, on Saturday evening Mr. Fogg allegedly set two brush fires in the Oak Grove cemetery in Oak Bluffs, then called the fire department to report the fires. She said the defendant fled from the scene on foot. First responders found seven headstones tipped over in the cemetery.
Police soon began to get calls about someone trying to break into houses in the vicinity of the cemetery, including one incident in which an intruder kicked in a window while the residents were inside the home; the intruder reportedly fled after cutting his leg on the window. Residents were able to give police a description. At about the same time, police investigating the break-ins discovered a vehicle engulfed in flames.
Ms. Sugermeyer told the court Mr. Fogg later broke into a vacant home and slept overnight. He was arrested Sunday morning when police found him walking in the vicinity of the break-ins.
The prosecutor said her request for bail was based on the nature of the offenses, and Mr. Fogg’s lengthy record.
“He essentially accepts and admits responsibility for most of these offenses,” Ms. Sugermeyer said in court, citing the police report. “He also has many guilty [verdicts] on his record.”
Defense attorney Robert Moriarty asked for $5,000 bail.
“The record is the record, but if there’s one thing it shows, he always shows up in court,” Mr. Moriarty said.
The Hon. J. Thomas Kirkman set bail at $2,500 for each of the six cases, totalling $15,000.
A pretrial hearing was set for Oct. 7.
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