Upset wife is suspect in Epsom barn arson

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:04:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

A Concord woman was arrested Friday, Aug. 1, for setting fire to a storage barn that caused more than $100,000 in damage, her way of getting back at her estranged husband, officials said.

“I don’t believe she was trying to destroy materials. I think she was just trying to destroy her ex-husband,” Epsom Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton said.

Mary Margaret Yeaton, 43, of 19 Horseshoe Pond Road, is accused of setting fire to the Mihachik Builders barn on Route 4 in Epsom on July 21.

Some items stored inside the barn belonged to her estranged husband, Gary Yeaton, who rented storage space there. The couple had argued earlier that day, said the chief, who is a distant cousin of Mary Yeaton by marriage.

Chief Yeaton said the barn fire raged through the night, destroying the building’s roof and some of its contents. Almost 100 firefighters from 15 towns were called in to fight the fouralarm blaze, which caused more than $100,000 in damage.

In addition to arson, which alone could carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, Yeaton has been charged with one count of criminal threatening and one count of breach of bail.

She was also charged while in custody at Merrimack County Jail on a warrant out of Concord, in connection with an unrelated suspected arson fire.

Solving the Epsom fire quickly was a matter of teamwork, said Chief Yeaton, who collaborated with Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, Concord police and the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal to wrap up the investigation in less than two weeks.

“The teamwork was incredible. Everybody worked together just putting the stuff together. We kept people right there at the fire scene for 48 hours to preserve the case because we knew we had such a strong case,” Yeaton said.

Merrimack County Sheriff Scott Hilliard cited “some pretty handy police work” at the heart of the investigation.

“When we looked at some videotape from a nearby neighbor, we found a car and we went from there,” Hilliard said. The case will now be turned over to the county prosecutor, Hilliard said.

Hole in the road – Thieves make off with manhole covers

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:05:00 GMT

BY SUSAN WARE

Thieves have lifted roughly 20 storm drain covers in the towns of Pembroke and Epsom, leaving dangerous gaping holes on the sides of the roads.

The storm drain covers, which cost the towns approximately $85 each to replace, started disappearing the third week in June, said Epsom Police Chief Wayne Preve.

“Hopefully, we will catch whoever is responsible for this before someone gets seriously hurt,” said Preve.

Storm drains are typically located on the side of the road, and if the grate is removed it leaves a treacherous gap in the roadway.

Preve said if a driver pulls over to the side of the road and does not see the missing storm drain cover, landing in the open drain will tear up a car’s front end. Worse, if a bicyclist, jogger or child comes across the open storm drain, a serious injury will likely result, he said.

“Right now, when we catch whoever is responsible for this, the charge is theft, and maybe reckless conduct. If someone gets hurt, everything changes and the charges are accelerated,” said Preve.

According to Preve, roughly a dozen storm drain covers have been stolen from Epsom before the culprit moved on to Pembroke, where on July 13, seven storm drain covers were stolen.

In Pembroke, Police Chief Scott Lane is working with Epsom to catch the thieves.

Both speculate the storm drain covers are being sold to salvage yards as scrap for approximately $4 to $8 each.

Lane said they have contacted all of the local salvage yards and have been assured that they will be called if anyone comes in wanting to hawk storm drain covers.

“In the past, stuff like this has been a prank. A single cover here or there, but this is much more serious,” said Lane.

Epsom News : crime

Upset wife is suspect in Epsom barn arson

Hole in the road – Thieves make off with manhole covers