Woman Charged With Setting Fire In Lawrence That Displaced 52 People
LAWRENCE (CBS) -- Police arrested a woman for arson after an August fire that injured three firefighters and displaced 52 people.
Police charged Grace Ordonez, 41, with setting fire to an abandoned building at 29 Summer Street being used by homeless people, including Ordonez, on Aug. 25. Ordonez faces five counts of burning a dwelling, after the fire spread to nearby houses.
The four-alarm fire started at about 2 a.m., quickly jumping to nearby homes where people were sleeping inside. The fire ultimately damaged seven buildings, according to the Department of Fire Services, damaging five significantly and totaling more than $1 million in damage. Immediately after the fire, the Red Cross was working to help the displaced residents find shelter.
"I was really scared," Oscar Reyes, a young boy who escaped their nearby home with his mother and sister, told WBZ-TV at the time. "I could have died there."
Ordonez was arrested on Tuesday and will be in Lawrence District Court for arraignment on Wednesday.