Crime & Safety

Arrests Made in Connection to Union Square Car Fires

Police arrested a juvenile and an 18-year-old Dorchester resident and charged them inlighting two cars on fire in Union Square.

A juvenile and an 18-year-old have have been arrested and charged with lighting two cars on fire in Union Square on Nov. 5.

Somerville police arrested the juvenile, who lives near Union Square, on Nov. 5, according to a report from the Somerville Police Department. The juvenile was charged with burning a motor vehicle.

Police also arrested Paul Gambardello, of 1743 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, on Nov. 6, the report says. Gambardello was arrested on a warrant for burning a motor vehicle, according to a police booking log.

The Somerville Fire Department responded to the car fires, near 60 Bow St., at about 1:14 a.m. on Nov. 5. Later that morning, Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher said the fires were "definitely intentionally set."

The police report says a neighbor called police at around 1:13 a.m. on Nov. 5 and told officers about four to five males were in his driveway causing a commotion. After hearing more commotion, the neighbor looked out his window and saw the two cars—a Volvo and a Saturn—on fire, the report says.

Somerville police said there's a complaint issued for another juvenile thought to be involved in the car fires.

Kelleher said the incident does not seem to be connected to a string of fires, some confirmed as arson, that happened in Somerville over the summer.


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