Juvenile, 12, Accused In 2 Marblehead Church Fires Over 2 Weekends

MARBLEHEAD, MA — A 12-year-old was identified as the "sole suspect" in the setting of multiple fires at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Marblehead over back-to-back weekends, police said on Monday.

Police and fire crews responded to the church for the second Sunday in a row this weekend for a report of a small fire in the bathroom. Crews quickly extinguished the fire with no damage reported.

Police said a similar incident happened last Sunday, where fires were quickly contained with no permanent damage.

The initial results of the investigation led investigators to determine that the fires were intentionally set, with the 12-year-old juvenile identified as the suspect.

"We take all fire incidents seriously, no matter how small, and are grateful for the teamwork that helped us bring this case to a swift resolution," said Fire Chief Jason Gilliland. "We are thankful to the parish staff for their vigilance, and to our partners in law enforcement who assisted in this investigation."

Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King said it does not appear that there is an ongoing threat to the church or its parishioners.

"We are ever vigilant to protect our places of worship and appreciate the assistance of our public safety partners and the church staff to identify the individual responsible and hold them accountable," King said.