Crime & Safety

Police: Car Fire Probed As Possible Arson

18-year-old from Pearl River arrested nearby with items stolen from several cars, according to Orangetown police.

An overnight fire that destroyed a car in Pearl River is being investigated as a possible arson and at the same time an 18-year-old Pearl River man has been arrested on charges of possession of items stolen from cars in the same area, according to Orangetown police.

Police said arson investigators from the Rockland County Sheriff's Department were called in to check the wreckage of a Ford Mustang that was found to be on fire at about 2:27 a.m. today on Ridge Street near Gilbert Avenue in Pearl River.

Within a few minutes of discovering the fire, police said they were alerted to someone possibly rifling through unlocked cars on Ridge Street near Cardell Street in Pearl River. Police said they found Cornelius Kapral, 18, of Pearl River in the area, and that he had a cell phone, a GPS device and two digital music players.

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Police said Kapral was charged with criminal possession of stolen property after the owners of the phone and the GPS device were found by police, who are still tyring to find the owners of the digital music players.

Orangetown police detectives and the Sheriff's Department are continuing their investigation of the incidents on Ridge Street this morning. Police ask that anyone with information related to the investigation call police at 845-359-2121.

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Volunteer members of the Pearl River Fire Department extinguished the car fire. Police noted that a Sheriff's Department dog trained to sniff out accelants in possible arson cases was brought in to assist the investigation.

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