Girl, 14, Charged with Arson at Roller Rink

BOSTON, April 30, 2013—A 14-year-old girl is charged with setting the front door of a popular roller-skating rink on fire Saturday night after being denied entry, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Mattapan teen, whose name will not be released because of her age, was arraigned yesterday in the juvenile session of Dorchester District Court. Assistant District Attorney Amanda Cascione recommended that she be held on $5,000 cash bail; Judge Leslie Harris released her to the custody of her grandmother with orders to abide by a 5:00 p.m. curfew, attend school each day and arrive on time, and stay away from the scene of the incident and any witnesses.

Boston Police officers, Boston firefighters, and investigators of the joint Fire Investigation Unit responded to the Chez Vous roller rink on Rhoades Street at about 10:00 Saturday night for an arson report.

About 120 people were inside the rink when the fire began. None was injured and the fire was put down quickly by employees with a fire extinguisher, but damage was estimated at about $3,000.

“Thank goodness those employees kept their cool,” Conley said. “We don’t even want to consider what could have happened if they hadn’t acted quickly, calmly, and appropriately.”

Video surveillance images retrieved from Chez Vous allegedly show the 14-year-old setting the fire by pushing burning papers into it. Civilian witness statements corroborated that video. She and a female friend were apprehended by Boston Police a short distance away.

Chez Vous staff told investigators that the defendant had been barred from the establishment for 30 days for fighting with and making threats toward other patrons. At about 10:00 on the night of the fire, staff said, she had been denied entry.

The juvenile is represented by attorney Anna Brickman. She will return to court on May 29.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.