BY ROD HANSEN
Two local youths face felony charges after allegedly setting fires to a building and a truck on Monday, March 12.
Robert Audette, 17, of Goffstown, and a second local juvenile, were also charged with damaging a building and a car in a separate incident that morning.
Police received a call of a structure fire at 37 Joffre St. at 7:35 a.m. that day. The fire seemed to have partially extinguished itself, minimizing damage to the home, according to a police press release. Officials also determined the house was not occupied at the time of the fire.
Fire department officials determined the incident to be suspicious in nature, according to a news release.
Officers Paul Lavallee and David Rivard obtained descriptions of two suspects from neighbors at the scene, according to police Capt. Glenn DuBois. That information went out by police radio, and Sgt. Patrick Sullivan eventually located the suspects in the area of McDonald’s on Mast Road. The suspects were apprehended after a brief foot pursuit and arrested at Goffstown Plaza.
A later call to police reported a case of criminal mischief at the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall at 98 Daniel Plummer Road. Lavallee investigated that call as well, and reported that a truck had been burned in the Kingdom Hall parking lot.
Damage to the 1992 truck was extensive enough to constitute a total loss, DuBois said.
A second car in the parking lot suffered damage to a side mirror, and the vandals had also broken windows of the Kingdom Hall itself, DuBois said.
Police were able to link this incident to the Joffre Street case, and Audette and his juvenile companion are now being charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, both Class B felonies.
The younger suspect was detained by the juvenile justice system, while Audette was held on $10,000 cash or surety bail pending his arraignment the following day in Goffstown District Court.
Audette pled not guilty to all charges at his arraignment and requested a defense attorney. He is currently being held at Manchester’s Valley Street House of Corrections on $5,000 cash or surety and $5,000 personal recognizance bail pending a probable cause hearing.