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May 2, 2008

2 Burrillville students charged with arson in school fire

BURRILLVILLE -- Two 18-year-old students were held without bail after they were accused of burning a T-shirt and a roll of toilet paper in a locker room at the town's high school, the police said today.

Joshua Haffner, 47 Litzen Rd., North Smithfield, and Elias Richardson, of 314 Chestnut St., Uxbridge, Mass., were charged with first-degree arson yesterday, according to Burrillville police Lt. Kevin SanAntonio.

The youths used a lighter to ignite the shirt as it sat atop a locker and to set the toilet paper on fire in a bathroom stall, SanAntonio said. The fires around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday caused some damage to the ceiling and stall area, but they had stopped burning by the time they were discovered by a school janitor.

They were arrested yesterday following an investigation by the police officer assigned to the school, David Beauchemin, SanAntonio said.

The suspects were arraigned in District Court, Providence, today. Judge Frank J. Cenerini ordered them held without bail in advance of a bail hearing on May 9, San Antonio said.

“This is an occupied school,” he said. “You’re putting people’s lives in jeopardy. It’s a very serious offense."

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 3:19 PM | Permalink

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Frustrated Taxpayer | May 2, 2008 3:53 PM link

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