MEXICO — Police said three juveniles were recently charged with burning down a camp on Coburn Avenue in Mexico last year, while another was charged with burning bathrooms at Hosmer Field in Rumford in July, and four were charged with break-ins at Rumford Elementary School this summer.
The charges are the result of an investigation into the July 31 fire at the town gazebo behind the Mexico Fire Station in which as 13-year-old female is charged with arson, Mexico Police Chief Roy Hodsdon said.
“The State Fire Marshal’s Office discovered in their investigation that three juveniles under the age of 16 were responsible for the fire that destroyed the Coburn Avenue camp,” Hodsdon said. The camp was owned by a Massachusetts resident and was empty at the time, he said.
Dan Young of the State Fire Marshal’s Office said the three females are from Dixfield, Carthage and Jay.
“While we were doing the investigation into the gazebo fire, I was able to get some information from that (Coburn Avenue fire) and the fire in Rumford at Hosmer Field (bathrooms),” he said.
Young said he shared information with the Rumford Police Department, who continued the investigation.
“It just happened that when I was doing the gazebo one, it involved a juvenile female, and remembering the Coburn Avenue one where three female juveniles were seen going to and leaving that scene . . . I just started asking questions, if the same people might be involved in the other one and was able to garner enough information that we were able to put it together,” Young said.
Rumford Police Chief Stacy Carter said a 13-year-old female from Rumford was recently arrested and charged with one count of arson in the Hosmer Field bathroom fire that occurred July 24. She was also charged with two counts of burglary, one count of theft and one count of criminal mischief related to the Rumford school break-ins.
The bathroom fire caused over $6,000 damage and $4,500 for cleanup, officials said.
Three other 13-year-olds are also charged in the Rumford school burglaries:
* A female from Mexico with two counts burglary, one count theft and one count of criminal mischief;
* A male from Rumford with one count burglary and one of count theft; and
* A male from Rumford with one count criminal mischief.
All are scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Sept. 28.
Young is also continuing an investigation into a fire that destroyed the snack shack at the Mexico Recreation Park on July 21, 2014.
“I’ve been doing that one for awhile,” he said. We haven’t been able to figure that one out yet. That is not one someone came up and told us about. So that is ongoing.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 626-3870.
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