Suffern Police have announced the arrest of a 19-year-old local resident in connection with an early-morning fire on Woodland Drive. The department released the following statement detailing the incident and subsequent investigation:

On Monday August 10th, at approximately 5AM, The Suffern Police Department received multiple calls reporting an active fire on Woodland Drive. Suffern police officers responded and observed what appeared to be a vehicle on fire, parked in the driveway of the residence. The Suffern fire department responded to the scene and was able to extinguish the fire before it spread to nearby vehicles and the residence. A preliminary investigation by responding patrol officers led them to believe the cause of the fire was suspicious. Suffern police detectives subsequently responded to the scene and along with assistance from the Rockland County Sheriff’s BCI and fire investigation unit, determined the fire originated in refuse that was placed near the curb for garbage collection and spread to the vehicle parked in the driveway. 

Suffern police detectives continued to investigate the case over the next several days and developed a suspect, a 19-year-old Suffern resident. The suspect was interviewed and subsequently arrested and charged with Arson in the third degree, as well as criminal mischief in the second degree. Based on the investigation, it appears that the suspect and victims had no connection to each other and the fire was not specifically targeted towards any particular individual(s). It is believed that the suspect was walking home after consuming alcohol, and randomly and intentionally ignited the refuse. 

The Suffern police department would like to thank the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the investigation. We would also like to thank Mayor Michael Curley and the Suffern Village Board for their support with this investigation. The police department was in continuous contact with the board throughout the investigation and the board made it clear that the safety of our residents is a top priority for them and that we had their full support in bringing this case to a successful resolution.