Arson charges have been dismissed against a St. Paul man who was accused of starting fires in an abandoned building in downtown St. Paul.
Chrystian Andrew Ward, 20, had been charged with one count of first-degree arson, accused of helping his friend Codie Allen-Paul Pouliot set fires Oct. 31 inside the former Ramsey County Government Center West building on Kellogg Boulevard, according to Ramsey County court documents.
Homeless people were asleep inside at the time.
Pouliot, 28, was charged with two counts of first-degree arson in the incident.
The building was formerly home to West Publishing and is slated for demolition to make way for development on the river-bluff site.
The fire caused structural damage on three floors.
Ward’s attorney, John Thomas Barragry, said charges were dismissed against his client because of lack of probable cause.
The Ramsey County attorney’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.
The case against Pouliot is proceeding. His next hearing is scheduled in early January.