Stratford police have charged three teenagers with arson for their alleged roles in starting the fire that destroyed the town”™s iconic American Shakespeare Theatre in January.
As the teens were underage when the fire was set, police declined to identify them by name. The trio has been charged with first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal mischief, among other crimes.
Stratford Police Capt. Frank Eannotti said the teens were processed by his department and then transferred to the custody of juvenile court authorities.
“The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected,” Eannotti said in a news release.
The teens are reportedly suspected of setting five other fires around the town.
The theater, which was built in 1955, declared bankruptcy in 1982, was later taken over by the state, and ultimately closed in 1989. In her recent State of the Town address, Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick noted that a number of listening and community sessions about what to do with the property were taking place this month.
