Stratford teens accused in more arsons

MILFORD — Two Stratford teens accused of burning down the Shakespeare theater were charged in three additional arson cases Monday, including a fire that damaged construction trailers at Silver Sands State Park last month.

The two suspects — Christopher Sakowicz and Vincent Keller, both 18 — are now accused of arson in a total of six recent fires across the state.

On Monday Sakowicz and Keller were arrested in connection with:

A Feb. 8 fire at a vacant home on Richards Place in West Haven.

A Feb. 17 fire at the former Bilco Door Company in West Haven.

A March 23 fire that damaged construction trailers in Silver Sands State Park.

Each was charged with two counts each of first-degree arson, conspiracy to commit first-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit firstdegree criminal mischief, seconddegree criminal trespass and conspiracy to commit seconddegree criminal trespass in connection with the West Haven fires.

Each also was charged with two counts of first-degree criminal mischief and single counts of second-degree criminal trespass third-degree larceny and attempted third-degree criminal mischief in connection with the construction trailer fire.

They have not been charged in connection with a March 19 fire at Silver Sands that destroyed several buildings under construction as part of a $9.1 million park improvement project. The cause of that fire has not been ruled arson, and the teens are not suspected of setting that blaze.

In court Monday, Judge Donna

Wilkerson Brillant ordered the new cases against Sakowicz and Keller to be continued to May 16 and May 14, respectively. Both were being held in lieu of bail Monday afternoon.

Sakowicz and Keller are expected to appear today in Bridgeport in connection with the Shakespeare theater fire and a March 9 truck fire at Good Earth

Tree Care on Longbrook Avenue in Stratford. They also face charges in Waterbury court in connection with a Jan. 15 fire at the Southbury Training

School.

According to arrest warrants, the case broke last month when the mother of a suspect in the Shakespeare theater fire called a state police arson tip line reporting that her son had received a SnapChat message that two of his friends, Keller and Sakowicz, had set the fire.

In subsequent questioning by police, both suspects confessed to setting the fires, according to the warrants.

Police said Keller allegedly sold equipment stolen from the construction trailer at a pawn shop and used his own driver’s license as identification to complete the transaction.

The fire in the construction trailers caused more than $60,000 in damage, according to the warrants.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Milford firefighters and police at a storage container fire at Silver Sands State Park in Milford on March 24.