Superintendent: We Will Prosecute to the Fullest Extent of the Law
The Nassau County Police Arson/Bomb Squad recently announced the arrest of two males, ages 11 and 12, in connection with a fire that was set to the Division Avenue High School football field concession stand on Jan. 3.
According to police, who have been looking for tips on the fire that they ruled arson, the two youngsters were arrested on April 22 and will be charged with Arson 4th Degree. The youths will be charged as Juvenile Delinquents and will appear in Family Court.
At the time, according to detectives, the Levittown Fire Department responded with five trucks and 50 firefighters to a 911 call for smoke in the vicinity of the concession stand at the football field of Division Avenue High School, unoccupied at the time.
The fire caused extensive damage, estimated at over $100,000, to the bleachers, rubberized track, gym equipment and concession stand and press box at the location. There were no reported injuries. School Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois said the district’s insurance should cover the damages.
An investigation by the Arson/Bomb Squad, Eighth Squad and the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office was ongoing as Levittown School District cooperated with police in finding the offenders.
“We cooperated as much as we could with the police,” Sirois told the Levittown Tribune. “Any information we had, we gave them. They looked at our cameras and spoke to students and parents.”
Sirois said it is his understanding that the boys are Levittown School District students but could not confirm that. He said if they are, they will “be disciplined appropriately and that would most likely include a suspension.”
Repairs to the field are ongoing and are expected to be finished over the summer. Sirois said the field is usable for sports teams but the press box above the bleachers is still being fixed, as construction has to meet new codes.
Sirois said the district’s policy is to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law and if that includes getting monetary damages, that is what they will do.
