BY
JIM DEVINE
Police have
charged three
teens and a
juvenile with
arson related
to the fire that
damaged and
closed the skate
park early this
month.
Thomas
Kostarellas, 17,
of Dracut, Mass.,
and Marc Patenaude,
18, of
Pelham, were
charged with arson
and attempted
arson on
Monday, May
12.
Jason Lamy,
17, of Pelham,
was arrested for
arson as well as
two counts of
attempted arson
after he allegedly
tried to
explode an aerosol can prior to
the fire.
On May 2, police responded
to the skate park at Lyons Memorial
Park behind the Sherburne
Hall building to put out a fire that
the teens allegedly started on
one of the skate ramps. Several
officers put the fire out with a
fire extinguisher.
Lt. Gary Fisher said police
recognized a vehicle leaving
the skate park at the time of the
fire and interviewed the driver,
who said he saw the suspects
start the fire.
The skate park sustained
$1,900 in damages and has since
been closed. The town is expected
to pay $1,000 as an insurance
deductible.
Recreation director Brian
Johnson said the park won’t be
opened until full repairs are completed,
but said he has already
put the project out to bid and is
waiting for the town’s insurance
claim to be processed.
“I’d like to have it opened up
as soon as possible,” he said.
The skate park, which has
been at Lyons Memorial Park for
three years, hasn’t been a regular
site of trouble, but there had
been a similar call to the skate
park a week before the fire.
“There was a report of some
kids burning a T-shirt, but we
didn’t find anything on that,”
Fisher said.
Fisher said a 15-year-old juvenile
has not yet been arrested, but
is expected to appear in Salem
District Court on arson charges.
All three teens were released
on $5,000 personal recognizance
bail. An arraignment
was set for June 9 at
Salem District Court.