Document text
Two children charged with arson, burglary Medford police have arrested two boys on arson and burglary charges in connection with a fire Saturday that destroyed a home on the east side of town. The suspects, ages 10 and 9, were accused of setting the fire that caused damages estimated at $105,000 to a home in the 400 block of Piccadilly Circle, behind Hoover Elementary School. Medford police spokesman Tim George said arson and police investigators broke the case after the homeowners, who were out of town Saturday, discovered that a shotgun was missing from the residence. "The fire was suspicious to begin with," George said. "The fact that a shotgun was missing indicated someone had been inside" the house. The shotgun, a single-shot 16-gauge, was found in the yard. Meanwhile, investigators began canvassing the neighborhood. "They developed information on some likely or possible suspects, particularly two juveniles who walking about the neighborhood that afternoon," George said. The fire was reported at 5:37 p.m. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were shooting 15 to 20 feet from the house. George said the boys� parents agreed to bring them in for questioning Tuesday. He praised the parents for doing the right thing, even though they may be held liable for the damage. "It�s a good thing to see, from our end of it, that the parents cared enough to bring (the boys) in and hold them accountable," he said. The fire was most likely started with matches in an office in the house, George said. "There might have been some fire-play involved," he said. "I�m not sure whether they meant to burn down the house, but certainly they intended to start a fire." Because of their age, the Mail Tribune agreed not to print the names of the suspects. They were released to the custody of their parents, pending adjudication in juvenile court. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.