AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A man blamed for a fire that destroyed a topless coffee shop in Maine has been found guilty of arson.
A jury convicted Raymond Bellavance Jr. on Friday after deliberating for four hours.
Prosecutors say "anger and jealousy" caused Bellavance to set fire to a coffee shop where his ex-girlfriend worked. The Bangor Daily News ( ) reports Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley told jurors Bellavance was "a volatile man" who was quick to anger because his former girlfriend was having a relationship with the shop's owner.
The Grand View Coffee Shop in Vassalboro featured topless waitresses. It burned down June 3, 2009.
The defense insists Bellavance didn't do it.
Bellavance testified he wasn't jealous. He said other people including a man who testified he helped set the fire were lying.
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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangordailynews.com
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