30-04-2025
Homeless man charged in Springfield for arson and assaulting officer
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A man in Springfield faces several charges following his arrest last week in connection with a break-in and arson.
According to a news release by the Springfield Fire Department, on April 24 at approximately 4:35 a.m., officers and firefighters received a report of a structure fire at the 200 block of Belmont Avenue.
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Firefighters quickly put out the flames on the rear porch of the home, while members of the Arson and Bomb Squad investigated and found a gasoline can nearby. Springfield Fire said that K-9 Gregg of the Arson Unit was able to detect accelerants and/or flammable liquids on the porch.
Later that day, at approximately 3:30 p.m., officers and firefighters were investigating an attempted arson at a residence on the 0-100 block of Buckingham Street. A suspect was believed to have poured gasoline inside the victim's apartment. Additional officers arrived to assist the investigators, and the team entered the apartment.
The Springfield Fire Department stated that crews could immediately smell gasoline inside the home and observed an individual, later identified as 30-year-old Nicholas Denson, who then escaped out of a back door. Denson was located promptly afterwards on State Street and reportedly shoved an officer before being arrested.
Nicholas Denson (Homeless) was charged with:
Arson of a Dwelling/House
Breaking and Entering into a Building- Daytime for a Felony
Attempted Arson of a Dwelling/House
Defacement of a Property
Assault and Battery on a Police Officer
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