BOSTON (WHDH) - The Everett man accused of setting fire to a restaurant in Mission Hill was sent by a judge Monday to Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Prasiddha Baruwal, 23, was arrested Saturday and charged with arson of a commercial building, breaking and entering during the nighttime to commit a felony, and willful malicious destruction of property, according to Boston police.
He was arrested in connection with an early-morning blaze at the Squealing Pig restaurant on Smith Street Wednesday.
Police said cell phone video shows Baruwal, a former cook at the restaurant, inside the Squealing Pig as it was burning. Prosecutors said Baruwal was fired from his job five weeks prior for making inappropriate comments towards female staff members.
In court Monday, Baruwal was evaluated by a doctor, who found he did not really understand the criminal justice system and the severity of the charges. The doctor determined Baruwal needed a further mental health evaluation.
Baruwal was not arraigned on arson charges Monday, and instead was sent to the psychiatric hospital for 20 days.
“We have a defendant who has made some delusional and odd — I think those are the two words that I wrote — and there’s a need for further evaluation,” Judge David Weingarten said at Roxbury District Court.
He is slated to return to court on July 19 to be arraigned.
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