22-Year-Old Arrested For Arson At The Historic Leonard Park Tea House

MOUNT KISCO, NY — A 22-year-old Mount Kisco man has been charged with arson following a fire that damaged the decking of the historic tea house in Leonard Park.

Erik Hernandez Regalado was charged with felony arson and felony criminal mischief. He was arraigned in Mount Kisco Justice Court and remanded to the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla. Regalado is due back in village court on April 24.

The Westchester County Police Department and the Mount Kisco Fire Department were called to the scene of the fire at 5:11 p.m. on Thursday. A witness reported seeing a man with a battery-powered scooter fleeing from the area, and patrol officers began a search of the park and surrounding areas.

The Mount Kisco Fire Department extinguished the blaze before it could spread to the iconic building itself.

Within minutes, an officer spotted a man pushing a scooter and walking through a parking lot on South Bedford Road. The officer detained the man for investigation and took him into custody after a witness identified him as the person seen leaving the scene of the fire.

The 22-year-old was charged after an investigation by patrol officers and a detective from the General Investigations Unit.

The Westchester County Police Forensic Investigation processed the crime scene. The Cause & Origin team from the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services also assisted with the fire investigation, according to authorities.

"It was hard to sleep last night after seeing this last evening," Mount Kisco Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora wrote on social media on Friday. "I'm so grateful to the Mt. Kisco Volunteer Fire Dept for getting to the park so quickly and making sure the fire didn’t spread to the building. Thank you to the Highway Dept for working late last night to secure her. This gift to the Village can never be replaced."