Resident arraigned on arson charge
By DAN MORIARTY
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – A resident of 12 Franklin Avenue, who portrayed himself before television cameras Thursday afternoon as a hero, stood Friday morning at the Westfield District Court docket, again before the television cameras, to answer to a felony charge of arson of a dwelling.
Christopher L. Perrier, 24, of 12 Franklin Avenue, entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment shortly before noon. Judge Michael Mulcahy set bail at $1,000 and established a number of parole conditions which, if Perrier violates, could result in confinement until the case is heard.
Mulcahy also set a Feb. 24, 2012 hearing to determine if Perrier will be bound over to Superior Court for a felony trial.
Assistant District Attorney Frederick Burns had requested bail of $110,000 because of the serious nature of Perrier’s alleged crime.
“He risked the lives of his own family members, risked the lives of firefighters, risked the lives of police officer,” Burns said.
Perrier has told the television news crews Thursday evening that he had seen smoke and fire coming from the bottom of a dryer in the basement of the multifamily residence.
Burns said that investigators inspected several dryers and lint traps, but found no evidence that the fire started in the appliances.
Investigators asked Perrier to come to the Westfield Police Department Detective Bureau to give a formal statement, Burns said. Perrier repeated the statements he had given while in front of the television cameras Thursday afternoon.
Investigators determined that the statement was inconsistent with the physical evidence observed at the fire scene. Perrier was then asked to submit to a voice stress test that confirmed the inconsistencies in his statement.
When confronted with the results of that test, Perrier admitted to the facts as presented by Burns Friday in court.
Perrier “took lint and placed it in a basket, then threw a match into the basket. He did try to stamp it out, but could not,” Burns said.
“Given the serious nature of the situation, that people’s lives were put at risk, his own family, firefighters, the Commonwealth is asking for a high bail of $110,000 or a surety of $100,000,” Burns said.
Perrier, who is a supervisor of a landscaping company and who has resided at that residence for the past nine years, had problems with the building that the landlord would not correct, Burns said. Issues includes problems with windows, flooring, toilets and snow removal.
Andrew Ott, law clerk at the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Springfield, representing Perrier, stated that his client had been released from police custody Thursday night on $300 bail and had come to his arraignment to answer to the charge of arson. The attorney requested that the court continue the bail at that amount.
“He came to court on his own accord with his son and fiancée,” Ott said. “There is no indication that he is a threat to anyone. He has no record.”
Ott, who entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf, said that Perrier has learning disabilities, and cannot read nor comprehend complex issues.
“He told the police whatever he could to get back home,” Ott said. “He had no reason to set fire to that building. Most of his family lives in that house.”
Fire Chief Mary Regan said Friday that the quick response of firefighters limited structural damage to the basement and underside of the first floor.
The Victorian house has been expanded several times and now contains five apartments with between 12 and 14 residents.
“All of the residents were displaced because we had to shut off (electrical) power and gas to the building,” Regan said. “The fire did get into the structure of the basement, damaging the wiring and plumbing.”
The American Red Cross was providing assistance to residents.
Regan said that when firefighters arrived “smoke was coming from the basement and pushing out of the eves. There were still people in the building.”
Firefighters had to remove one man who had climbed out of the second floor onto a porch roof by ladder and another man was on the third floor.
Both of those residents, William Hoynoski Sr., and David Dockery, were treated for smoke inhalation at Noble Hospital and released.
“Basement fires are always dangerous because there’s no place to vent the heat,” Regan said. “Fortunately they got there early, so there was not a lot of heat.”
Regan said that the original structure has a balloon-style construction, just vertical studs that create chimneys allowing the fire to spread up the inside of the walls. Current building codes require cross boards or fire stops that slow the spread of the flames.
“The original part has balloon construction, but it’s hard to say where it would have extended because of all of the additions,” she said.
Dan Moriarty can be reached at [email protected]
