COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Charges were dropped Monday, at least temporarily, against a man who had been accused of starting a fire that killed five college students in a house near Ohio State University.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien has said the aggravated murder and arson charges against Robert Lucky Patterson, 20, could be refiled at any time. The charges were dismissed in Franklin County Municipal Court.

``Mr. Patterson is not cleared as a suspect. He can be re-arrested, indicted, tried, convicted,'' O'Brien said.

O'Brien said last week that he questioned the charges after reviewing a videotaped police interview with Patterson and interviewing five witnesses whose statements would be critical to gaining an indictment.

O'Brien would not say what on the videotape has caused him to reconsider the charges.

Patterson was arrested Aug. 1 and charged with five counts of aggravated murder, three counts of attempted aggravated murder and nine counts of aggravated arson in the April 13 that killed two Ohio State students and three from Ohio University.

Police had said Patterson was trying to steal stereos from cars when he got into a confrontation with someone in a parking lot behind the three-story rooming house, where about 80 people were celebrating the 21st birthday of one victim. Authorities said Patterson set fire to a couch on the front porch.

After meeting with victims' families Friday to discuss the case, O'Brien said he would give police more time to investigate over the weekend before deciding whether to drop the charges.

O'Brien had asked the police, fire department and FBI to forward all their files and evidence to his office.

The decision to dismiss charges had to be made before Monday, the deadline for seeking an indictment. Under Ohio law, prosecutors have 10 days to indict a suspect who has been arrested on a felony charge.

Killed were Alan Schlessman, 21, of Perkins Township near Sandusky; Kyle Raulin 20, of West Chester; Andrea K. Dennis, 20, of Madeira near Cincinnati; Erin M. DeMarco, 19, of Canton; and Christine Wilson, 19, of the Columbus suburb of Dublin. Schlessman and Raulin attended Ohio State. The women went to Ohio University.

Patterson's father, Ron Patterson, said at the court on Monday that his son is ``a little stupid teenager'' but not a criminal.

He said he is sure his son did not start the fire but might know who did.

``They just wanted somebody. That's the way I look at it. They just wanted the case closed,'' he said.

Victims' families accept O'Brien's decision, said Dean Knisley, a friend and attorney acting as spokesman for Wilson's family. Knisley said he spoke with parents of several of the victims Saturday who felt it was better to see if more evidence could be gathered.