Stevens Street Fire Scene, as seen from Winter Street.
The next scheduled appearances in juvenile court of four Haverhill teens charged in connection with two fires Sept. 16 and Sept. 20 at a Stevens Street mill building will come as early as Friday, Oct. 16.
Three, ages 14, 15 and 16, remain held without bail while a fourth suspect, a 15-year-old male, was released on conditions by Lawrence juvenile court Judge Jose Sanchez during a dangerousness hearing last Thursday. Two of the juveniles return to court for pre-trial hearings on Oct.16; another on Oct. 19 and the fourth on Nov. 2, according to Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokesperson for Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
“We did request that the fourth juvenile be held on $25,000 cash bail once the judge deemed him not dangerous but that request was denied,” Kimball-Monahan told WHAV.
Sanchez released that teen on conditions he stay away from the fire scene and from co-defendants or witnesses, remain drug and alcohol-free and a bail warning he could be held again without bail if he failed to return to court or gets into further trouble.
A 15-year old male is charged with burning a building and breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony. A 14-year old male is charged with burning a building, burning a dwelling and breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony. Two other males, ages 15 and 16, are each charged with two counts of burning a building; burning a dwelling and two counts of breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony. Their identities are being withheld due to their age.
During the first fire, Sept. 16, the Haverhill Fire Department responded at approximately 2:20 p.m., according to Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s office. The fire was contained to a small area in the abandoned building and was deemed suspicious. On Sept. 20, at approximately 4:55 p.m., the Haverhill Fire Department responded to a fire at the same location. The fire was large and required the efforts of 30 area fire departments over three days. During the course of the fire, a nearby residential building at 9 Granville Court, also sustained damage.