Crime & Safety
Person 'Screaming For Help' During LI Storage Unit Fire: Police
A man was charged with arson after intentionally starting the fire, police say.
RIVERHEAD, NY — A person was heard screaming for help outside a storage unit fire in Riverhead early Wednesday, police said.
According to Riverhead Town Police, at 1:45 a.m., an officer on patrol noticed smoke in the area of Mill Road and West Main Street, and then saw fire inside one of the CubeSmart self-storage units located on Mill Road.
The person, uninjured from the fire, was transported to the Peconic Bay Medical Center for a prior unrelated injury, police said.
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After an investigation by detectives, the fire marshal, and the Suffolk County arson squad, Robert Lazazzaro, 60, and homeless, was found to have intentionally started the fire; he was arrested and charged with one count of fourth-degree arson, then released on an appearance ticket, police said.
The Riverhead Volunteer Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze, police said.
Find out what's happening in Riverheadfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Anyone with any information about the fire is asked to contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500.
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