AUBURN — Local police and the State Fire Marshal’s Office have made an arrest in connection with Friday’s early morning fire at 22 Webster St.

Randen Schmidt, 21, of Greene was arrested after an interview at the Androscoggin County Jail where he was being held on an unrelated charge.

Schmidt is a former tenant of the apartment building, from which he was recently evicted.

The two-story building was mostly vacant with one family living on the first floor. That family moved out Friday with help of firefighters and moved into a local hotel room temporarily.

Fire investigators pinpointed the area of origin as the back apartment on the first floor but didn’t say how the fire started other than it was deliberately set.

Schmidt became a suspect after investigators tracked down several leads, Deputy Chief Jason Moen of the Auburn Police Department said in a prepared statement Saturday.

The arrest highlights the teamwork between the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Auburn Police Department, he said. Investigators from both agencies were able to develop enough evidence to arrest Schmidt, charging him with arson and burglary. Schmidt remained at the Androscoggin County Jail in lieu of $35,000 cash bail on Saturday. He is expected to be arraigned on Monday, Moen said.

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