BY TREVOR MAXWELL

MaineToday Media, Inc.

For the second time since his arrest in April, an alleged arsonist from Portland has been released on bail.

Thomas Cassidy, 19, was initially charged with arson and burglary on the morning of April 11, following a string of 10 car fires and several thefts from other cars during a span of two hours on the Portland peninsula.

Police said they found Cassidy walking away from the last fire carrying items stolen from the cars, matches and butane lighters in his shorts.

His mother bailed him out of jail on May 2. But when officers checked the house the day after Cassidy's release, they found matches and a small butane torch, which were not allowed in the home under conditions of bail. Cassidy was arrested and charged with violating bail conditions, and has been at the Cumberland County Jail since May 7.

Prosecutors had hoped to seek a formal indictment against Cassidy last week in order to move the case forward. But investigative reports from the state Fire Marshal's Office were received just after the prosecutors' deadline to present the case to the grand jury.

Assistant District Attorney Deb Chmielewski said there was no undue delay in the delivery of those reports. It took about two months for fire investigators to complete the reports because there were 10 separate fires and a large volume of evidence to process, she said.

Chmielewski expects to seek an indictment when the grand jury next convenes in Cumberland County, during the first week of August.

Joe Thomas, assistant state fire marshal, agreed that the response time for the reports was normal for his office, given the scope of the investigation.

"Our part of it was all carried out," Thomas said.

At a hearing in Cumberland County Superior Court on Tuesday, Chmielewski and Cassidy's new defense lawyer, Nicholas Mahoney, agreed that Cassidy should be released on the same bail conditions he had in May. Justice Kirk Studstrup approved the arrangement, clearing the way for Cassidy's release Tuesday evening.

Patricia Cassidy attended her son's hearing. She and Mahoney declined comment afterward.

The $90,000 property bond posted by Patricia Cassidy in May was carried over for this second period of bail.

At 4:04 a.m. on April 11, firefighters responded to a car fire at 139 Sherman St. Nine more car fires were started between that time and 5:53 a.m., according to police reports. At least nine other cars were vandalized or broken into. Three of the fires ignited buildings and caused evacuations, but no one was hurt.

Around 5:53 a.m., Portland Police Sgt. John Nueslein Jr. spotted Cassidy walking from the spot of a fire on Pleasant Street. Nueslein questioned Cassidy and placed him in handcuffs when he found a knife and stainless steel knuckles in his pockets. According to Nueslein's report, Cassidy had an iPod that was allegedly stolen from one of the torched cars, as well as matches, three butane lighters and a stainless steel flask. Nueslein reported that Cassidy appeared to be intoxicated, but he did not say in his report what, if anything, was in the flask.

Officer Ryan Gagnon brought Cassidy to the police station, where he was arrested later that morning. A fire-investigation dog detected the presence of ignitable liquids on Cassidy's sweatshirt and one of his shoes.