Store clerks doused with lighter fluid

CLINTON, Mass. (AP) - A Clinton man charged with dousing two convenience store clerks with lighter fluid and brandishing a knife during an attempted robbery has been held without bail.

A judge Thursday ordered 32-year-old Brian Dziczek held at the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center in Bridgewater because he is undergoing withdrawal for opiate addiction. A dangerousness hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.

Prosecutors say he entered the store late Tuesday night while masked, sprayed lighter fluid on the clerks and brandished a knife. Police later found a lighter in his pocket.

The store employees subdued Dziczek and called police.

The Telegram & Gazette reports he faces 16 charges including assault to murder and attempting to burn a building.

His lawyer says lighter fluid is not dangerous because it evaporates quickly.