For the second time in less than a week, an individual known to St. Thomas Police is facing arson charges.
In the latest case, a St. Thomas man has been charged after a disturbance and small fire early Tuesday morning at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital.
City police responded to the emergency department around 5:30 a.m. where the accused had been throwing garbage cans, forcing the area to be evacuated.
He was located near the hospital and taken into custody.
At the same time, city firefighters were called to the hospital after a fire was discovered in a washroom resulting in damage to the floor and smoke in the waiting room.
Twenty-eight year-old Tharen Stover faces several charges including:
- Arson – Disregard for human life
- Uttering threats
- Mischief under $5,000
- Fail to comply with release order
Stover was already bound by multiple conditions of a probation order stemming from prior convictions, including:
- Failure to comply with probation
- Possession of a firearm or ammunition
- Theft under $5,000
He has been remanded into custody.
A police releases stresses, “This act demonstrated a willful and reckless disregard for the safety of patients, hospital staff, and the citizens of St. Thomas. The St. Thomas Police Service continues to work alongside the St. Thomas Fire Department, hospital staff and security to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community.”
This past Sunday, 44-year-old Joseph Penfound, who police say is “a prolific offender,” was arrested and charged after an early morning fire destroyed two buildings in the city’s downtown core.
You can read more about that incident here.
Written by Ian McCallum
