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57°
Thursday, jun 4
Tag:
Arson
Police & Fire
Mass Teen, Man Charged In Explosion At Harvard Medical School; FBI Details What Agents Found
The FBI says two Massachusetts men have been arrested after an explosion shook a building at Harvard Medical School. Logan David Patterson, 18, of Plymouth, and Dominique Frank Cardoza, 20, of Cardoza, are accused of setting off a Roman candle firework inside the Goldenson Building at 220 Longwood Avenue in Boston, federal investigators said. Agents with the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force made the arrests with help from Harvard University Police. Ted Dox, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office, said the two bragged about what they did and then tried to cover it up.&nbs…
News
PA Gov. Shapiro’s Mansion Firebomber Cody Balmer Sentenced — Watch New Video Evidence
Cody A. Balmer has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in a firebombing attack that endangered 22 people inside the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Balmer admitted to all charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, 22 counts of arson (one for each person endangered), burglary, and related offenses, according to Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo. The Sentence Judge Deborah E. Curcillo accepted a plea agreement in which Balmer, 38, was sentenced to a state correctional institution for 2…
News
Facebook Friend Stabbed, Burned Alive By Gang Member: Life Sentences Mount
The final member of a violent Lehigh Valley gang has been convicted in the 2018 torture-killing of 18-year-old Tyrell Holmes, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Thursday, Oct. 9. Zahmire Welcome, 27, of Whitehall, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and kidnapping by a Northampton County jury after more than a week of testimony. He faces a mandatory life sentence when he is formally sentenced on Jan. 14, 2026. Welcome was the last of four men charged in connection with Holmes' killing — all members of a gang that called itself “Money Rul…
News
Charlie Kirk Murder: Person Of Interest Released Hours After Utah Campus Shooting
A person of interest who was apprehended in connection with the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was released hours later. The individual was released from custody following an interrogation by police, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X Wednesday night, Sept. 10. No suspects had been arrested as of 8:45 p.m. "Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," Patel said. Related Report: Who Was Charlie Kirk? College Dropout, Forbes 30 Under 30 Influencer Assassinated At Rally Kirk, 31, was …
News
Influencer 'Drew Disaster' Commits Arson In Botched Suicide Attempt: Affidavit
A popular content creator is facing felony charges after allegedly setting her Middletown home on fire in a suicide attempt that killed one of her cats, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Thursday, Sept. 4. Drew Yvonne Mehalick-Headley, 29 — known to her hundreds of thousands of followers as “Drew Disaster” — allegedly lit the bedroom of her mobile home on Caravan Court around 4:39 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, according to Middletown police. Flames ripped through the residence before firefighters were able to knock down the blaze and rescue Mehalick-Headley, authorities said…
Police & Fire
Miami Man Nearly Beheads, Murders Mom Who Came To Check On Him: Police
A 40-year-old Miami Beach man was arrested and charged with murder after an eight-hour SWAT standoff over the weekend after his New Jersey mother's body was found nearly decapitated in a dumpster, police said. Anthony Caruso, 40, was arrested on Sunday, July 20, following the standoff at his apartment on Washington Avenue, according to a criminal complaint filed by Miami Beach Police. Police were dispatched to 800 Washington Ave.,, for a welfare check after Elizabeth Caruso’s son-in-law reported not hearing from her for over six hours, the affidavit says. Elizabeth had arrived mid-day Satu…
Police & Fire
CT Woman Claimed To Be Devil Before Setting House On Fire, Shooting At Boyfriend: Cops
A 42-year-old man told police he awoke to his girlfriend pointing a gun at his head and claiming she was Lucifer. She told him that they needed to kill the neighbors before she allegedly set their home on fire, authorities said. Megan Dunkin, 31, of Harwinton, turned herself in to police on Tuesday, June 24. She faces multiple charges in connection with the incident, according to the Connecticut State Police. The ordeal began on June 12, when Dunkin’s partner said she started rambling and running around their home, an arrest warrant stated. He later found her burning a hole in a shower curt…
Police & Fire
Woman Charged With Arson In Western Mass Fire That Left 12 Homeless: Investigators
Twelve people are without homes after a fire tore through a Western Massachusetts apartment building earlier this week, and now, officials say it was no accident. Michelle Hall, 40, of Chicopee, was arrested and charged with arson of a dwelling, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office. The three-alarm blaze broke out just after 3:30 a.m. at 26 Belcher Street on Sunday, June 1. When firefighters arrived, flames were pouring from the three-story multi-family building. Crews rushed inside to rescue anyone still trapped. All 12 people inside escaped without injury, officials said. F…
News
‘Death To America’ Man Who Tried To Firebomb US Embassy In Tel Aviv Arrested At JFK: DOJ
A man who once lived in Colorado is facing federal charges for attempting to firebomb the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Sunday, May 25. Joseph Neumeyer, 28, a dual U.S.-German citizen, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport after being deported from Israel, according to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. Molotov Cocktails Outside The Embassy Neumeyer allegedly showed up at the U.S. Embassy’s Tel Aviv branch on Sunday, May 19, with a dark backpack loaded with three Molotov cocktails. Se…
Police & Fire
Duo Accused Of Torching Springfield Shed During Eviction Dispute; Home Also Damaged In Blaze
Two people who were being evicted from a home in Springfield set fire to a shed on the property, damaging the house and destroying the other structure, police said. Nelson Martins, 51, of Ludlow, and Wendy Champagne, 47, of Ware, were arrested in Ware on Wednesday, May 21, and charged with the March 1 blaze, Springfield Police said. Firefighters were called to a fire on Kamuda Street in Springfield on March 1 and found a shed ablaze and flames leaping onto the nearby home. Crews put out the conflagration with no injuries, but the shed was destroyed, and the house suf…
Police & Fire
Arson Suspected After 4 Fires At Same Abandoned Mass Campus: ‘We’re Deeply Concerned'
Two more fires have torn through the long-abandoned Fernald School campus in Waltham, and officials believe they may be connected to a troubling pattern of arson dating back to last year. Waltham Fire Chief Andrew Mullin, Police Chief Kevin O’Connell, and State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine confirmed that the recent fires, which happened in April, are now under investigation. They say the blazes appear to have been set on purpose and are likely linked to two others that happened in January and December. “There have been four fires in that area since December,” said Chief O’Connell. “These inci…
News
Bonfire Left Burning Sparked 15,000-Acre NJ Wildfire, 19-Year-Old Man Charged: Prosecutor
A 19-year-old New Jersey man has been charged with setting the massive wildfire that scorched 15,000 acres and destroyed a commercial building this week, officials announced. Joseph Kling, of Ocean Township (Waretown), was charged with Aggravated Arson and Arson in connection with the Tuesday, April 22 blaze, according to a joint statement from Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, NJ DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette, and Ocean Township Police Chief Michal Rogalski. The fire was first spotted at 9:45 a.m. by the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower, which reported seeing smoke near Jones Roa…
News
College Student In Boston Firebombed Tesla Dealership While On Spring Break, Feds Say
A college freshman on spring break is now facing federal charges after allegedly tossing a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla dealership, torching two Cybertrucks in a late-night firebombing. Owen McIntire, 19, of Kansas City, Missouri, who attends college in Boston, was arrested and appeared in federal court in Massachusetts on Friday, April 18. Prosecutors say the charges stem from a Monday, March 17 blaze at the Tesla Center in Kansas City, where he’s accused of using incendiary devices, including one that didn’t detonate, to start a fire that destroyed two vehicles worth more than $100,000 eac…
News
Listen
: Cody Balmer’s 911 Call Before Firebombing Gov. Shapiro’s Residence Mentions Palestine
Just hours before Molotov cocktails were hurled into the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, a man now charged in the attack made a chilling 911 call claiming Gov. Josh Shapiro was targeting Palestinians and hurting his family. Cody Allen Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, is accused of breaking a window at the Governor’s official residence with a hammer and throwing incendiary devices inside while Shapiro, his wife Lori, and their children were sleeping early Sunday, April 13. In a 911 call obtained by Daily Voice on Friday, April 18, Balmer told dispatchers: “Governor Josh Shapiro needs to know t…
News
‘Irritable And Agitated’: Cody Balmer’s Mom Sought Help Days Before Governor’s Mansion Arson
Days before the firebombing at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, the mother of accused arsonist Cody Balmer pleaded with police, fearing her son was suffering from a mental health breakdown, Penbrook police announced in a release on Tuesday, April 15. On April 10 — just three days before the Molotov cocktail attack that forced Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family to evacuate — Balmer’s mother, Christie, contacted the Penbrook Police Department to report that her son had left home without explanation. She told officers that she believed he stopped taking his medications about a year ago and …
News
Hospitalized After Confessing: Cody Balmer Admits Firebombing PA Governor’s Mansion
The man accused of firebombing Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept has been hospitalized for a medical event, authorities announced on Monday, April 14. Cody Allen Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, remains under Pennsylvania State Police supervision while receiving treatment at an area hospital. Officials said the medical episode was unrelated to the fire or his arrest. Balmer will be arraigned at Dauphin County Prison once he is cleared for release, state police said. A surveillance video captured Balmer climbing over a wall onto the Governor’s Residen…
News
Shocking Photos Show Firebombed Damage Inside PA Governor’s Mansion After Arson Attack
Charred walls, melted fixtures, and soot-stained ceilings — shocking new images reveal the devastation inside the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence after an arsonist set it ablaze while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept. The photos, released by the Commonwealth on Sunday evening, show extensive fire damage throughout the stately Harrisburg mansion’s interior, particularly concentrated near the front entrance. Blackened walls, debris-strewn floors, and scorched furniture paint a harrowing picture of the overnight attack that officials say could have ended in tragedy. Commonwealth Medi…
News
Cody Balmer Set Fire At Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Residence While Family Slept, State Police Say
A Harrisburg man is accused of setting fire to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Sunday, April 13. The blaze broke out around 2 a.m. at the mansion on North Front Street in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, authorities said. Shapiro, his wife Lori, and their children were safely evacuated by Pennsylvania State Police and Capitol Police after troopers banged on their door to wake them. The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire quickly extinguished the flames. No injuries were reported, though the fire caused “signi…
News
Arsonist Sets PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s Residence On Fire
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were forced to evacuate their residence as an arsonist set the governor’s residence ablaze while they slept overnight. The blaze broke out at 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 13, in North Front Street in the city of Harrisburg in Dauphin County. Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement they has confirmed that the fire was a deliberate act of arson. The alleged arsonist has since been identified and arrested, click here to read our full report. The Shapiro family was located in a different part of the mansion and was safely evacuated…
Police & Fire
Yvonne Ngoiri Gets 4 Life Sentences For Fatal Worcester Fire
A Central Massachusetts woman who admitted to setting a fatal fire that killed four people and injured several others has been sentenced to four concurrent life terms in prison. Yvonne Ngoiri, 39, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder and several other serious charges related to the 2022 blaze that tore through a triple-decker apartment building at 2 Gage St., the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. She will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years. Worcester firefighters were called to the home around 3:30 a.m. on May 14, 2022. Flames quickl…
News
Woman Intentionally Sparked Western Mass Fire That Displaced 3: Police
A 60-year-old woman has been charged with arson after authorities say she deliberately set a fire that tore through a home over the weekend, leaving three residents displaced. Lorie Ann Kowal is charged with sparking the blaze at 143 Edgewood Ave. in Chicopee just after 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 2, the state Fire Marshal's Office said. Firefighters said the blaze quickly escalated to a two-alarm fire before crews got it under control. No one was injured, but three people inside were left homeless. The American Red Cross is assisting them. Investigators determined the fire w…
News
7-Alarm Fire in Southbridge That Displaced 12 Intentionally Set: State Officials
A devastating seven-alarm fire that tore through two buildings on Union Street in Southbridge last month was intentionally set, state fire officials said. Twelve people were left homeless in the blaze, and investigators are now asking the public for help in finding who’s responsible. The fire broke out around 3:25 am at 5-7 Union St. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, and quickly spread to the neighboring building at 9-11 Union St. Firefighters arriving on the scene found heavy flames and immediately called for additional resources, escalating the response to seven alarms. Crews from over a dozen commun…
Police & Fire
Man Charged With Fire That Destroyed Mass Country Club
A Massachusetts was arrested Thursday, March 28, and charged with setting a blaze last year that demolished a Dartmouth country club. Shawn Medeiros, 31, of New Bedford, is charged with burning a building, the State Fire Marshal's Office said. Medeiros is accused of setting the May 7, 2023, blaze at Hawthorne Country Club around 1:30 p.m. It took two hours to get the blaze under control. Fire investigators knew right away that the blaze appeared to be intentionally set. Authorities did not speculate on any potential motive for the arson. The club was a …
Police & Fire
2 Teens Sparked 4 Fires In Western, Central Mass Using Explosives: Arson Investigators
Arson investigators busted two teenagers who they say are responsible for setting multiple fires in Hampden and Worcester counties using explosives. Nathan Asselin, 19, of Sturbridge, and Camron Lamarche, 19, of Southbridge, are charged with four counts of possession of a destructive device, placing an explosive device, vandalism, and other offenses, the State Fire Marshal said. Investigators said the duo placed explosive materials in mailboxes and outdoor sites on Town Farm Road in Brookfield, Sturbridge Road in Holland, Boston Road E in Monson, and New Boston Road in Stur…
Police & Fire
Grover St. Fatal Fire: 'Person Of Interest' Sought By Springfield Police
A fatal fire in Springfield early Monday morning, Oct. 16, may have been intentionally set. Springfield police are asking for people who live in the area near the blaze to check their cameras for a specific person seen walking away from the scene. The fire at 118 Grover Street in Springfield began around 5 a.m. on the front porch beneath the bedroom of Janayrah "Nany" Rivera, 18, Springfield police said. A fundraiser for her said she was trapped in the room as the flames licked up the walls. Her sister received third-degree burns and will likely need three to four skin graft…
News
Unlawfully Present Haitian Citizen Nabbed For Setting Church On Fire In Mass: ICE
A Haitian national who was unlawfully in the US is now in custody after breaking into an Essex County church and setting it on fire, officials announced. The Haitian national, who entered the US as a nonimmigrant in 2015, was arrested on violation of immigration charges on Tuesday, Sept. 26 by federal Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced on Thursday, Oct. The suspect, whose name was not released, was previously convicted of breaking into a Methuen church and setting it on fire in 2017. He will now remain in ICE custody pending …
Police & Fire
2 Charged With Setting Train Car On Fire In Western Mass Causing $250K In Damages: Police
Police have arrested two men investigators say set a train car on fire on Aug. 16 in Hampden County, destroying everything inside. Johnny Hundley, 23, of Southwick in Hampden County, is charged with breaking and entering into a railroad car, burning a railway car, malicious destruction of property worth more than $1,200, and trespassing on railroad property, the Massachusetts Fire Marshal said. Brandon Jasorkowski, 25, was arrested in Connecticut and is expected to be extradited to face similar charges, investigators said. Westfield firefighters were called to the area beh…
Police & Fire
Man Out On Bail Tried To Burn Down Springfield Home with Someone Inside: Police
A man wearing a court-ordered ankle monitor from a previous arrest from in cuffs again Thursday, Aug. 24, after police in Springfield said he tried to burn down a home with someone inside. Lavonta Williams, 45, of Springfield, was out on bail from an arrest in August 2022 on guns and drug charges and an outstanding warrant for driving while high in Palmer, Springfield police said. Emergency dispatchers sent firefighters to a home on Collins Street just after 9 a.m. Thursday after they received calls about a structure fire. Fire crews were able to put out the blaze. A K9 t…
Police & Fire
Western Mass Train Fire 'Suspicious,' 'Very Fortunate No One Was Injured': Investigators
State fire investigators are asking for the public's help to gather more information about a "suspicious" train fire Tuesday night, Aug. 16, in Hampden County, where a door was pried open. Firefighters in Westfield were called to the area behind181 Notre Dame St. just after 6:45 p.m. and found the train car engulfed in flames. Crews were able to put out the blaze, but all of the contents inside were destroyed, state fire investigators said. Authorities did not say what was lost. “Railway fires come with a unique set of hazards to firefighters and the public, and this was a very challen…
Police & Fire
Arson: Central Mass House Fire Intentionally Set; 2 Injured In Blaze
Police have arrested a man and charged him with intentionally starting a Central Massachusetts house fire that injured two people on Tuesday, June 6. Evan Kelly, of Holden, was arraigned on Wednesday, Leominster District Court officials said. He is charged with arson, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60, reports said. He is being held without bond until a dangerousness hearing on Monday. Investigators say Kelly intentionally set the fire at 24 Juniper Lane in Holden just after 7:30 p.m. Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control in about two hours. …
Police & Fire
Son Indicted In Slaying Of His Father, Trying To Burn Down Western Mass Home: DA
A 35-year-old Hampshire County man was indicted on Monday, March 20, in the murder of his father and attempting to burn his body in a house fire, authorities said. Craig R. Weise, of South Hadley, is accused of killing his father, David Weise Sr., 70, in September, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. He faces a charge of murder and attempted arson of a dwelling, the prosecutor said. He is expected to be arraigned on April 3. Police found David Weise Sr.'s body at his home at 37 Lawn Street on Sept. 9 after a healthcare agency called officers to request a …
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