The man accused of setting a deadly apartment fire may have a history of setting fires while in foster care, prosecutors said Wednesday in court.

Douglas County Dist. Atty. Charles Branson made that statement to Judge Pro Tem Peggy Kittel during the first court appearance for Jason Allen Rose, the 20-year-old man charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated arson in Friday morning’s blaze at Boardwalk Apartments.

Branson had asked Kittel to set Rose’s bond at $500,000.

“We believe the defendant, given the nature of these charges, poses a flight risk,” Branson said.

Branson and Rose’s attorney, Michael Riling, then approached the judge’s bench, where Branson told Kittel he believed Rose was a public-safety risk because he had information that Rose may be responsible for setting other fires while in foster care. The conference was intended to be private, but an open microphone at Kittel’s bench relayed the sound to the Douglas County Jail, where Rose was appearing by teleconference.

Kittel granted Branson’s request for $500,000 bond.

Rose wore eyeglasses and a red jail jumpsuit during his brief appearance, speaking only to affirm his identity to Kittel. He’s charged with killing Kansas University student Nicole Bingham, electrician Jose Gonzalez and social worker Yolanda Riddle, by setting the fire Friday morning in the 500 block of Fireside Drive.

Stolen lighters

Mark Bradford, acting chief of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, said Wednesday that investigators had finished their work searching for evidence in the rubble of the apartment building and had returned the scene to the complex owners’ custody.

But investigators continued looking into Rose’s background.

According to court records, Rose pleaded no contest in 2003 in juvenile court after being charged with stealing cigarette lighters from Westlake Ace Hardware, 711 W. 23rd St. At the time, Rose was living in a group home operated by The Villages, a Topeka-based agency that provides foster care for troubled youths.

“He came in and got some lighters. We didn’t even know they were missing until the gentleman from the group home brought him back in,” said Warren Kolz, a store employee at the time.

Rose recently had moved out of foster care and had begun living on his own.

A co-worker of Rose’s from a local fast-food restaurant said she was interviewed Wednesday by a Lawrence Police officer who asked her whether she ever saw Rose starting fires outside the restaurant during his breaks.

But the co-worker, Kelly Haubein – who worked with Rose at Taco Bell, 1408 W. 23rd St. – said she told the officer she’d never seen Rose setting fires.

Haubein, 19, began working with Rose at the restaurant in July. She said she hung out with him once or twice outside work and that she’d never seen him angry or involved in disputes.

“Jason was really into wrestling,” she said. “He’d tell me the wrestlers’ names and tell me who won.”

‘Don’t believe it’

Both Rose and the manager of the Taco Bell where they worked lived in the building that burned, she said.

Haubein said that minutes after the fire started, she heard from an acquaintance at Taco Bell that the building was on fire and went to the scene. She said she saw Rose outside the north end of the building helping other residents – for example, watching the two dogs of an injured neighbor who had been taken to the hospital.

“He’s such a nice guy,” she said. “I don’t believe he did it.”

Rose attended Victory Bible Church, 1942 Mass., said Tracy Asberry, a congregation member who was at Rose’s first court appearance. Asberry said she’d known Rose for about the past three years as his youth group leader.

“He was a quiet, sweet young man. I’d hug him. He’d hug me,” Asberry said. “I just believe that someone needs to stand up for his character.”

Rose will be back in court Oct. 24. Attorney Riling said he was making a limited court appearance Wednesday for Rose and that his client didn’t have money to hire an attorney.

Kittel said an attorney would be appointed.

Branson said that for now he didn’t believe there were any other suspects in the fire. He and fire chief Bradford both said they were pleased that the agencies investigating the fire were able to work smoothly together.

“It’s pretty rare that you get this fast a result in a case like this,” Branson said.