Documents Show UConn Extinguisher Theft, Discharge Triggered Events Leading to Tragic Fire Call

STORRS, CT — Somewhat lost in the shuffle in the case of a fatal accident involving a University of Connecticut student and a campus fire vehicle are arrests that link back to the reason the fire department had a call in the first place.

As 19-year-old Jeffny Pally was walking out of her residence toward a rear bay of the UConn fire department, two pranksters were stealing a fire extinguisher from the Gant Science Building and setting it off on the fourth floor of Russell Hall, according to police records.

Jacob San-Juan, 20, of Autumn Lane of Plainville and Michael Vaz, who has an off-campus Storrs address at 110 North Eagleville Road, were both charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and sixth-degree larceny, according to UConn police arrest records.

They have both posted $2,500 bonds and are due back on court on March 13 and March 6, respectively, according to court records.

The call came in at 1:18 a.m. on Oct. 16. The student killed was Pally, who lived at 87 Northbrook Drive, West Hartford. According to the warrant, Pally was dropped off to her university residence by a car service, but somehow wandered out of it and wound up behind the UConn public safety complex at 1:15 a.m., when the fire department received a call.

She was asleep against a bay garage door, police said. The door opened when the fire vehicle was being deployed and she was run over, according to police records.

Six hosts of a party that featured underage drinking have been arrested in the case.

See the full account here.

Photo Credit: UConn