Update: Bail Set For Arson Suspect

A man charged with intentionally setting a fire this week in New Bedford's North End, is now back on the street wearing a GPS unit.  The fire Wednesday at 330 North Front Street left 13 people homeless.

Twenty-five year old Xavier Betancourt-Echev was arraigned Thursday on a charge of arson with prosecutors asking Judge Robert Ovoian to hold the suspect without bail for 90 days, saying he was a danger to the community.

According to New Bedford Police, the judge released Betancourt-Echev on $500 bail and the requirement that he wear the GPS unit.

The prosecutors filed a motion on Friday, asking Judge Ovoian to reconsider his decision to free the suspect, saying he admitted to the crime and took premeditated action, filling a container with gasoline and setting the fire in a second-floor hallway.

The motion is still pending.  Judge Ovoian was not on the bench on Friday, so Betancourt-Echev remains free till a hearing can be scheduled.  His next court date is April 10th