By Carol McCracken  (Post # 1,312)

Elroy Montes-Lopez, 24 years old,  96 Morning Street on the Hill, has been arrested in connection with a fire he alledgedly  set early Saturday morning atop Colluci’s Store, 135 Congress Street on the Hill.  He has been charged with Arson, Class A and Criminal Trespass, Class D.  Bail has been set at $20,000 cash.

Just after 3:30 am Saturday morning Lopez entered a third floor apartment occupied by Dick Colucci, manager of the popular convenience store below him. After offering him a glass of water, Collucci called the police who arrived quickly and took him into custody.  In between, Lopez, who appeared to have been drinking,  had started a fire in a closet on the second floor next to a tenant’s apartment.  Lopez was taken into custody as he tried to exit the building.

The store on the first floor of the building received water and smoke damage, although the full extent is not yet known.  Two sources close to the situtation said it could be “months” before Colucci’s opens again.

Please see the previous post for more background information on the subject.