Arrest warrants, texts released from 3 teens accused in Shakespeare Theatre fire

Arrest warrants for the three teens accused in the Shakespeare Theatre arson offer new details about how the plot went down.

News 12 Staff

Apr 10, 2019, 6:35 PM

Updated 1,836 days ago

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Arrest warrants for the three teens accused in the Shakespeare Theatre arson offer new details about how the plot went down.
The court documents show there was a call to the state arson tip line about a Snapchat message that gave police two names, Vincent Keller and Christopher Sakowicz. Both are 18 years old now, but were 17 at the time of the fire.
Officials say the two initially denied they set the fire but eventually admitted to it, with Sakowicz saying, " You got me, you got your guy."
The warrants show Keller and Sakowicz told police that they were picked up around midnight on Jan. 13 by their friend Logan Caraballo.
They say the three of them went to the Shakespeare Theatre where they got in through an unlocked back door.
In the basement, Sakowicz allegedly doused a rag with gasoline, lit it on fire, then threw it against the wall and the fire spread.
The warrants also show Sakowicz kept an alarm panel from the theater as a souvenir, which he later turned over to police.
"I'm pretty disappointed and wish that they had done something different with their lives than what's going to happen for the next several years," says Mayor Hoydick.
Police say an examination of their cellphones confirms the teens were at the Shakespeare Theatre at the time of the fire. They also say before the fire, Keller texted his girlfriend, "Goodnight we are going to burn down Shakespeare tonight" and later "DO NOT TELL A SOUL ABOUT TONIGHT."
Police also found a text from Keller to Sakowicz the following night, "My brother are work has made national news they're talking about this in Atlanta." (Eds: The spelling "are" instead of "our" in the text is as the text reads.)
Keller and Sakowicz are also charged with a truck fire in Stratford and a building fire in Southbury.
The documents show police questioned Sakowicz and Keller about other fires in the area including those at Silver Sands State Park in Milford and other fires in West Haven.
Sakowicz, Keller and Caraballo are due back in court for the Shakespeare Theater case on April 23.
 


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