Two Albemarle teens confessed Friday, August 11 to setting a wagon near Alberene Church on Plank Road on fire and defacing the church kitchen with condiments on Sunday, August 6. The vandalism is not suspected to be a religious attack.
Albemarle spokesperson Lee Catlin says the youths lived near the church. The wagon fire could have been set with candles stolen from the church basement—the fire did not spread to other areas of the property.
Catlin says arson is rare in the county. “The majority of fires that we see are accidental in nature,” she says.
At press time, charges for the teens were pending following a meeting with the County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. Under Virginia law, the teens are the youngest age eligible to be tried as adults.
Related stories
‘Permanent damage’
After almost three months, Charlottesville police have dropped charges against Patrick McNamara for the January 12 assault of a woman on the Rivanna Trail. The case against McNamara has been dismissed, but the arrest continues to affect his life. On January 18, McNamara was taking a break outside while working from his apartment when he […]
Passing the buck
Charlottesville representatives returned to Richmond for the April meeting of the state legislature. The April 17 session was originally intended to address vetoes, amendments, and the state budget, but a jam-packed agenda pushed budget considerations to May. Though he didn’t outright veto the budget, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin put forward 233 amendments to the bill, […]
Hall pass
On Tuesday, April 30, representatives from the University of Virginia Alumni Association will publicly present a site plan for “a new Alumni Hall” at the corner of Emmet Street and Lewis Mountain Road. The Alumni Association is a separate entity from the university, and pays property taxes to the City of Charlottesville. Unlike UVA, it […]
