Three juveniles charged in Chabad arson

By George Derringer/
Thursday, December 22, 2005

Three juveniles, all Lynn residents, have been arrested and charged with setting a van owned by Chabad Lubavitch of the North Shore behind its home on Burrill Street in October.
Police were notified of the fire inside the van at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, but the fire had already burned itself out by the time firefighters, located just a block away, arrived at the scene. Because the fire was outside a house of worship, police said then, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was notified and joined the investigation by the Swampscott Fire Department and Police Department, the state Fire Marshal's office and the state police.
The Essex County District Attorney's office and the Massachusetts Attorney General's office also became involved in the investigation.
Officials stayed largely quiet about the investigation, saying only that several people had been questioned in connection with the case.
At 7:53 p.m. Sunday, a 14-year-old male was arrested at Swampscott police headquarters and charged with causing property damage to intimidate, malicious destruction of property worth more than $250, wanton destruction of property worth more than $250, injury worth more than $5,000 to a church or synagogue, breaking and entering in the night time to commit a felony, breaking and entering into a motor vehicle to commit a felony and burning a motor vehicle.
Another juvenile was taken into custody at 5:11 p.m. Monday to answer similar charges on a warrant for his arrest and a third juvenile was arrested in Lynn at 7:22 p.m. Monday, also to answer charges on an outstanding warrant which shows charges of property damage to intimidate, burning a motor vehicle and causing property damage to a church or synagogue.
The incident followed one discovered on Saturday, Oct. 1, in which somebody entered the synagogue through an unlocked and made several anti-Semitic markings inside. That incident came only three days before Rosh Hashana, marking the beginning of the Jewish New Year and the start of the High Holy Days.
Police would not comment further on the case Tuesday.