Serial arsonist arrested after setting 3 fires in Woodbury, Gloucester County, police say
WOODBURY, N.J. (CBS) -- Woodbury police and the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office arrested a man they said is a serial arsonist responsible for three fires over the course of one week in early February on Sunday.
Michael Lopez-Medina, 19, was charged with three counts of aggravated arson and one count of aggravated assault causing injury to a firefighter.
Police said the fires began Feb. 1 when a car went up in flames on Salem Avenue. Then, on Feb. 2, they said he set fire to a shed outside of Carriage House Apartments on Evergreen Avenue. They said they were then able to link him to a fire at the former Sketch Players Club theatre on Glover Street.
At the sites of the last two fires, police said Lopez-Medina used spray paint to write "Let's Play" and "Playtime's Over" on the ground next to the fires. Police said Lopez-Medina confessed to the crimes.
"Patrol is the one who identified him and was able to locate him out in the streets," Thomas Ryan, the Woodbury Police Chief, said. "[Police were] extremely concerned that it would continue. We had no reason to believe it would not."
John Leech, the city administrator, said the theatre is a big loss for the community.
"It was a cozy little theater. It had a great ambiance about it," he said.
Leech said the city was in the process of discussing restoration plans for the theatre at the time it burned down. While he said it's very sad, he's thankful no one was hurt and the person accused of setting fire to it is now in jail.
"We have a great police department, we have an excellent fire department," Leech said. "I'm very glad that they got this person."
