BY DARRELL HALEN
Four young men have been arrested and charged with a rash of vandalism in Pelham that caused at least $25,000 in damage.
The arrests followed an investigation by several agencies in response to the suspicious fires of two sheds, the theft of an all-terrain vehicle, thefts from cars and several acts of criminal mischief.
All four suspects are from Pelham.
Matthew Melanson, 17, is charged with two counts of burglary, four counts of conspiracy to commit arson, two counts of reckless conduct, and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief.
Alexander Clement, 17, is charged with theft of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and hindering apprehension or prosecution.
John Paquin, 18, is charged with receiving stolen property and hindering apprehension or prosecution.
All three were released on personal recognizance bail and will be arraigned in Salem District Court on Sept. 24.
A 16-year-old boy is charged with four counts of arson, two counts of burglary, two counts of reckless conduct, criminal mischief and theft of a motor vehicle.
He has been released and will be arraigned in Salem Family Court.
Around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26, fire and police workers responded to a storage shed on fire at 39 Dutton Road. About 15 minutes later, while they were trying to prevent a house near the shed from catching fire, another shed fire was reported a few blocks away on Island Pond Road.
Family members were sleeping at both homes, but were awakened by police and neighbors and evacuated from the houses.
The size and intensity of the fires damaged both homes. At the Dutton Road residence, the house’s exterior singed and siding melted.
The fires have been ruled arson.
“No one was hurt but it was very serious,” Fire Chief Michael Walker said during the investigation.
“People were asleep and the fires were impinging on their homes.”
Throughout the night, police received reports of 30 acts of criminal mischief, 10 thefts from motor vehicles, and the stolen ATV, which was later recovered by police. The contents of one mailbox was burned.
At another home, mail was scattered about.
The four suspects were arrested based on information gathered by the Pelham police and fire departments, the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Pelham Police Lt. Gary Fisher was reluctant to say how investigators were led to the four suspects, saying that it would come out during trials. He did disclose that some information was gained from a traffic stop that police made.
“As suspects were gathered up, they (investigators) were able to put together the persons who were arrested,” Fisher said.
No additional arrests are expected. “I think we got them all,” Fisher said.
Police are still waiting for some families to provide estimates of damage done at their homes, so Fisher expects the $25,000 total estimate to rise.
“If anything, it’s on the low end,” he said.