Dracut Woman Arraigned For Allegedly Torching 2 Police Cruisers
DRACUT (CBS) -- A Dracut woman was arraigned in Lowell District Court for allegedly torching two police cruisers last week. Alicia Burley, 43, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges of burning a motor vehicle and trespassing.
Dracut Police announced the arraignment Friday night. Burley has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, but was released on personal recognizance.
The fire took place on September 15. Police said officers were responding to emergency calls around 9 p.m. when a shift supervisor received a call about a fire in the back parking lot of the police station.
After going to the parking lot, officers found one marked cruiser completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters put it out, but the heat from the fire also destroyed another marked cruiser parked next to it.
It was determined that an accelerant was used to set one of the cruisers on fire.
After discovering the fire, investigators allegedly spoke with Burley, who was found in the station's vestibule. She was seen by police carrying a can of gasoline, a lighter, and a book of matches.
She was taken to the hospital in an ambulance to "undergo an evaluation," police said at the time. Nobody was injured from the fires.
Burley is being ordered to stay away from the Dracut Police Department. She is due back in-court on November 10 for a pre-trial hearing.