(WFSB) – A Torrington man was arrested after targeting ambulances around the state Saturday night, throwing Molotov cocktails at them.
37-year-old Richard White is expected to be extradited to Connecticut sometime in the next couple of weeks.
He’ll face charges in each town these fires sparked in.
On Sunday, CT State and Meriden Police revealed more about the timeline of yesterday’s fires, but as far as a motive, we’re still waiting to learn that.
“The first fire, it was reported in Old Saybrook shortly after 4:00 and the last fire in Roxbury was reported shortly after 6:00, so everything that occurred last night happened in a very, you know, rapid timeframe,” CT State Police Sgt. Paul Makuc stated.
White allegedly arrived at Hunters Ambulance base in Old Saybrook, and ignited a makeshift Molotov cocktail inside of the employee room. White then fled the scene in a 2004 gray Ford Taurus.
According to police, officers were called to the Hunters Ambulance, 450 West Main St in Meriden to assist the Meriden Fire Marshal’s Office, with an investigation of an intentionally set fire at 5:36 p.m.
Officers spoke with employees who stated at approximately 10 a.m., a Hunters employee by the name of Richard White, was involved in a physical altercation with another employee.
A disciplinary hearing followed that resulted in White being placed on administrative leave.
Just after 5 p.m., White arrived at Hunters Ambulance on West Main Street in Meriden, operating the same Ford Taurus.
The vehicle approached the ambulance holding bays on the South Vine Street side of the building, where White was seen throwing a Molotov cocktail out of the driver side window before heading west on West Main Street.
Police said White also set two fires in Roxbury at 27 North Street and 118 West Chalybes Road.
“We got the call about 5:45 for an automatic alarm at the fire house,” Roxbury Fire Chief Todd Wheeler told Eyewitness News.
By the time Chief Wheeler arrived, there was smoke coming out of the ambulance bay.
“So we got the fire trucks out and then we pulled the ambulance out with one of the fire trucks, because there was a heavy smoke condition in that bay, got the ambulance away from the building,” explained Chief Wheeler.
Fortunately, no one was inside when the fire started.
“No injuries. Nobody got hurt. Fire trucks are still able to be used in town. Fire response is still there, so they made other provisions for the ambulance. There are other ambulances in service,” says Chief Wheeler.
Pennsylvania State Police found and arrested White after pulling him over on I-80 in Milton, more than 230 miles away from Roxbury.
White is expected to be extradited and has a court set bond of $150,000 charging him with third-degree arson and third-degree burglary.
He could face more charges depending on what the state’s attorney in Middletown, New Haven, and Litchfield find in their investigations.
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