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Police & Fire
Woman Accused Of Setting Fire To Shop In Western Mass Woman Accused Of Setting Fire To Shop In Western Mass
Woman Accused Of Setting Fire To Shop In Western Mass A Western Mass woman has been accused of setting fire to a motorcycle shop.  Angela Garcia was arrested on Wednesday, June 30 in connection with a fire on Tuesday, June 1, at the Indian Motorcycle building on State Street in Springfield, said the Springfield Fire Department. A warrant for Garcia, age 40, of Springfield, was issued following an investigation by members of the Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad, the department said. Garcia was charged with arson of a dwelling and malicious destruction of property of $1,200

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Right-Wing Extremist Kicked Out Of UMass Is Arrested For Hoax Bomb By BLM Sign Right-Wing Extremist Kicked Out Of UMass Is Arrested For Hoax Bomb By BLM Sign
Right-Wing Extremist Kicked Out Of UMass Is Arrested For Hoax Bomb By BLM Sign A local man who was kicked out of UMass Amherst last year for being racist was recently arrested after planting a fake bomb alongside a Black Lives Matter sign in New York. Louis Shenker, 22, who told police that he lives in Amherst, called Brooklyn Police around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, to arrange for his surrender, according to the Daily News. Shenker has also lived in  Longmeadow. Shenker may have filmed himself leaving the fake bomb. Shenker was expelled from UMass in 2018 after taunting participants of a rally against white supremacy, racism, and Donald Trump, according to a l…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Who Is Vulchev? Suspected Church Arsonist Did Time For Assault, Threatening The EU Who Is Vulchev? Suspected Church Arsonist Did Time For Assault, Threatening The EU
Who Is Vulchev? Suspected Church Arsonist Did Time For Assault, Threatening The EU A Maine man who is being charged for setting a city church on fire has spent time in prison for domestic violence assault and making threats against European Union economists.  On Friday, Jan. 1, Dushko (or "Dusko") Vulchev, of Houlton, Maine, was arrested in connection with an intentionally set fire at the Martin Luther King Presbyterian Church on Concord Terrace in Springfield, according to the Massachusetts Fire Mashal. He is being charged with three counts of attempted arson as well as malicious damage, police said. This is not Vulchev's first run-in with the law, according to loca…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Monday's Church Fire Is Third In String Of Suspected Arson For City Neighborhood Monday's Church Fire Is Third In String Of Suspected Arson For City Neighborhood
Monday's Church Fire Is Third In String Of Suspected Arson For City Neighborhood Today’s early morning church fire was the third suspicious blaze set in a single city neighborhood over the last two weeks. On Monday, Dec. 28, Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard J. Cavi said that the fire at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church appears to have been intentionally set. The fire began sometime between 2 and 3 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 28. The church fire on Concord Terrace is the third suspected intentionally-set city fire police and firefighters have responded to in the last week, Cavi said during a Monday afternoon press conference. "There were three oth…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Vacant Paper Mill Is On Fire - For The 4th Time Since June Vacant Paper Mill Is On Fire - For The 4th Time Since June
Vacant Paper Mill Is On Fire - For The 4th Time Since June For the fourth time since this summer, an empty paper factory has caught fire. In the early morning hours of Thursday, Dec. 10, firefighters received a report of flames at the old Strathmore Paper Mill on Valley View Avenue in Russell. As of 9 a.m. on Thursday, the fire was still blazing. This is the fourth time, the old paper mill has caught on fire in just over half a year. The sprawling, vacant mill complex caught on fire in June. The result was the destruction of building 2. Then there was another fire in July, a third in November, and now a fourth in December. A suspect, or suspec…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Arson: Fire Intentionally Set At Burlington Coat Factory Arson: Fire Intentionally Set At Burlington Coat Factory
Arson: Fire Intentionally Set At Burlington Coat Factory The Arson and Bomb Squad have been called in to investigate a small fire at a Burlington retail store. On Sunday, firefighters were called to Burlington Coat Factory on Cooley Street in Springfield for a report of a fire. The fire was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported. The Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad determined the fire was set intentionally. The incident is under investigation.

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Police ID Suspect Who Torched Biden/Harris Display - New Message Built Police ID Suspect Who Torched Biden/Harris Display - New Message Built
Police ID Suspect Who Torched Biden/Harris Display - New Message Built Police have made an arrest in relation to a Biden/Harris sign made out of hay bales being lit on fire. Lonnie Durfee, 49, is slated to be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court Tuesday, Oct. 13, to face a charge of burning personal property, according to WHDH, Boston. Dalton Police responded to a report of a fire on Route 9 at the Holiday Brook Farm around 6:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. The two-stack-high display of white, plastic-wrapped hay bales said “USA Vote Biden Harris 2020” in support of the Democrat challengers facing the Trump administration in the Nov. 3 presidential election.…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Fire That Injured 3 Firefighters Is Suspected Arson; Arrest Made Fire That Injured 3 Firefighters Is Suspected Arson; Arrest Made
Fire That Injured 3 Firefighters Is Suspected Arson; Arrest Made Police have arrested a man accused of setting a fire that injured three firefighters and torched a Springfield building. Jose Rodriguez-Acevedo, 21, of Springfield, was arrested Friday, Set. 4, and charged with arson of a dwelling and three counts of causing injury to a firefighter in the performance of their duties, according to the Office of Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi. He was arrested around 10:30 a.m. in Johnny Appleseed Park. Rodriguez-Acevedo’s arrest is in connection to the Aug. 23 fire that spread to vacant buildings at 312-320 Locust St. He allegedly lit a mattress…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Reward Offered For Info Leading To Cause of Raging Russell Paper Mill Fire Reward Offered For Info Leading To Cause of Raging Russell Paper Mill Fire
Reward Offered For Info Leading To Cause of Raging Russell Paper Mill Fire A $5,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can provide information that helps lead to who set the Strathmore Paper Mill fire in June. State and local police and fire officials have been investigating the cause of the blaze since it erupted like a volcano, Friday, June 19, at 34 Valley View Ave. The fire tore through the empty, sprawling mill complex, requiring the work of 120 emergency personnel to extinguish. A month later, the mill still smells like smoke. The Arson Watch Reward Program is offering $5,000 to anyone who can provide information that will lead to the cause of the myster…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Suspect Arrested In WMass Apartment Fire That Displaced 16 People Suspect Arrested In WMass Apartment Fire That Displaced 16 People
Suspect Arrested In WMass Apartment Fire That Displaced 16 People A Springfield man has been arrested in connection with a fire set at an apartment complex. Christopher Watkins, 35, of Springfield, was arrested on July 21 stemming from a fire at 500 Hancock St., the Springfield Fire Commissioner said. He has been charged with the burning of a dwelling, the commissioner said. More than 16 residents were displaced by the fire, the commissioner said. On July 21, Tuesday, at around 6:48 a.m., the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad were called to an apartment complex at 500 Hancock St., where a fire in the second-floor apartment had spread into the roof. A fire…

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by Kristin Palpini