Marblehead Police and Fire departments just announced that they have identified a 12-year-old suspect in two church fires at Star of the Sea during Mass the last two Sundays. Investigators say the juvenile is the sole suspect.
“We take all fire incidents seriously, no matter how small, and are grateful for the teamwork that helped us bring this case to a swift resolution,” said Fire Chief Jason Gilliland. “We are thankful to the parish staff for their vigilance, and to our partners in law enforcement who assisted in this investigation.”
The state’s Fire Marshall’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Police Chief Dennis King added, “These incidents appear to be isolated, and there is no identifiable threat to the community or the parishioners at Star of the Sea Church. We are ever vigilant to protect our places of worship and appreciate the assistance of our public safety partners and the church staff to identify the individual responsible and hold them accountable.”
The Sept. 28 fire produced a large amount of smoke, prompting the church to evacuate. No one was injured. There was no damage reported.
On Monday afternoon, Monsignor Timothy Moran spoke to reporters outside Star of the Sea, saying he believes the 12-year-old is a parishioner at Star and the Sea Year and he was looking forward to meeting with the family.
“It seemed to be more of an emotional reality than a direct threat,” he said. “There are all kinds of stressors in our society today and it affects different people in different ways at different times. I think this is an opportunity, actually. If we can take advantage of that opportunity, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing. I think everyone should. I think the parishioners, too, would be very happy to know that their prayers, their concern can be helpful in this particular situation.”
Moran also said Star and the Sea will be looking into more security measures, as many nonprofits are doing now.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
