NORTH HAVEN — A man who rented a residence on North Haven was arrested for allegedly breaking a gas line located near a wood furnace after he was asked to vacate the property by the landlord.

Travis Bubar, 55, was arrested Oct. 1 by Knox County Sheriff Deputy Josh Lemoi and charged with aggravated criminal mischief.

He made his initial appearance in Knox County Court Oct. 2 where his bail was set at $1,000 and included the condition of supervised release.

According to the affidavit filed in court, on Sept. 18 Lemoi and the North Haven Fire Department responded to the North Haven Inn and Grocery for a reported propane leak. A heavy odor of propane was detected coming from the rear apartment building attached to a garage. The apartment was occupied by Bubar and three other people, but landlord had asked them to leave and was in the middle of the eviction process.

Bubar was irate about the eviction and the owner was granted a temporary protection form harassment order against him Sept. 12, according to the police report.

During their investigation, police observed that the copper gas line going from the propane tanks into the house Bubar was living in had been recently broken and there were “teeth marks” from pliers on the line.

Police said the home was empty and Bubar had left the island, according to the affidavit.

The fire department determined that the source of the leak was a stove and removed it from the wall and disconnected the gas from the building.

The deputy said he received Facebook calls and messages from Bubar who claimed he did nothing wrong and did tamper with the gas lines because the stove was junk and was his and he did not want anyone to use it.

“It is my belief that Travis knowingly and willingly damaged the gas lines inside and out of the residence and did not secure the gas supply to the house,” the deputy said in the affidavit. “Once energized this could have caused a substantial risk or harm to anyone in the area especially with the close proximity to the wood furnace.”

Bubar is scheduled to appear in court again Nov. 16 for a dispositional conference.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com