Cops Hide in Woods to Catch Serial Arsonist who Lit Dozens of Brush Fires

To catch the serial arsonist who has been lighting brush fires along walking paths and in wooded areas in Barrington for the past five months, police detectives on Wednesday put on plain clothes, went into the woods, and waited. And they didn’t have to wait for very long.

Shortly after Det. Lt. Dino DeCrescenzo and two other detectives entered the woods behind Hampden Meadows School on Wednesday evening, they had 45-year-old David Peterson of Barrington in handcuffs and were stomping out yet another brush fire.

Barrington Police Chief John LaCross said in an interview Thursday that he was at the station at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday when he saw DeCrescenzo dressing down.

“Where are you going?” the chief asked.

“Into the woods,” DeCrescenzo said.

About an hour later, the chief got a phone call from the detective.

“We got him,” he said.

“C’mon,” the chief said, thinking it was a joke.

“We got him chief,” the detective said.

“Lighting a fire?”

“Yup.”

Detectives were determined to catch the culprit, who has admitted to setting scores of fires and is believed to have sparked at least two dozen brush fires in the Hampden Meadows area over the past four or five months, police said.

That determination led to the decision to lie in waiting in an area the suspect was known to walk. Over the course of the past few months, police noticed a pattern: the fires were typically set along the same nature trails, paths and wooded areas. They tended to be set after school dismissal time. And they were increasingly more daring and frequent, adding to the sense of emergency.

“I give all the credit for dedication to duty among our detectives to jump into the woods and catch this guy,” LaCross said. “It was an outstanding initative by our detectives.”

Coincidentally, when LaCross returned to the police station and saw DeCrescenzo changing clothes, it was after he attended a meeting with the Town Manager and Fire Chief. During that meeting, the possibility of setting up some kind of surveillance in the areas the arsonist seemed to favor was discussed. Residents have increasingly expressed concern to police and town officials about the drumbeat of brush fires in proximity to the school, LaCross said.

With rain approaching in the forecast, Wednesday was the ideal day for the operation.

DeCrescenzo and two other officers drove and parked off Kent Street to enter the nature trail and coincidentally, one of the officers saw Peterson walk by, dog in tow.

They exchanged pleasantries as any fellow nature-trail walkers would.

Police kept an eye on Peterson, unsure if he was the suspect at first. But sure enough, Ptlmn. John Melo saw him bend over at the side of the path slightly inside a wooded area.

Peterson poured something on the ground and lit it. Seconds later, Melo ran toward him, flashed his badge and shouted “Barrington police! You’re under arrest.”

Police found Peterson to be carrying a stun gun, a knife longer than three inches and an old flint-lock pistol. LaCross described it as an antique weapon and Peterson was not carrying any balls or powder.

Peterson reportedly was polite and cooperative, telling police that he has been stressed out at work. He readily admitted to setting the fire, police said, and admitted to setting at least a dozen other fires.

In one of those fires, a firefighter suffered injuries after a tree limb fell on his head. Luckily for the firefighter, he was wearing a helmet and could have been hurt much worse but LaCross said it’s yet another cost the town has had to absorb over the past few months due to Peterson’s alleged arson spree.

Peterson is now facing a charge of sixth-degree arson, and police could add additional charges as their investigation continues. He could face an upgraded charge as a result of the firefighter’s injury.

LaCross said that along with being proud of his officers’ work ethic, he’s glad to offer Barrington residents relief that a serial arsonist has been stopped. The fear was that the fires could escalate or that resources were spent putting out the arson fires while other emergencies and fires might occur.

“There was a lot of concern that this might escalate into lighting sheds or a rage,” LaCross said. “I’m glad he’s off the streets, but again, he was remorseful and apologetic.”

Peterson was released on surety bail after his initial court appearance after entering no plea to felony charges of possession of a pistol or revolver by an alien, three counts of sixth-degree arson, carrying a pistol without a license and two counts of illegal possession of a weapon other than a firearm.

He is due to return to court on Jan. 20 for a prearraignment disposition conference, according to court records.