A local man is facing charges after allegedly using an apartment patio as a fire pit and a toilet.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service said emergency crews responded to a fire outside of an apartment on Churchill Park Road in Chatham just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze, which is believed to have originated from patio furniture. No alarms were activated.
Authorities said a patio door to a ground-floor unit had also been smashed, and witnesses reported seeing a man defecating on the patio shortly before the incident.
Using surveillance video from the area, officers were able to identify a suspect. A 46-year-old Chatham-Kent man was located and arrested at around 9:30 a.m. He is now charged with arson and committing an indecent act.
The accused was held in custody for a bail hearing.
