Hartford Man Accused Of Setting Fire To Home, Car, Postal Vehicle: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man is accused of setting fire to a Massachusetts home, a car and a U.S. Postal Service vehicle, according to federal prosecutors in Boston.

Haroldo Rodrigues-Jardim Neto, 28, of Hartford, was charged with two counts of arson of a building or vehicle used in interstate commerce and one count of arson of federal government property.

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According to prosecutors, Jardim traveled from Connecticut to Swampscott, MA on Oct 7, where he set fire to the front porch of a multifamily rental property at 2:04 a.m. The incident was captured on a nearby doorbell camera.

Shortly after, Jardim traveled to Marlborough, MA. He was seen at a local gas station filling a portable gas container that had been stored in his car.

At 3:14 a.m., Jardim set fire to a Mercedes-Benz parked outside of a home in Marlborough using the gasoline container, prosecutors said.

He then traveled to a nearby U.S. Postal Service building, where he set fire to a USPS vehicle using the same gasoline container, according to prosecutors.

He faces between 5 and 20 years in prison plus a fine of up to $250,000.

Jardim is being held in Connecticut on unrelated state charges. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Thursday.