A wild spree of crimes rocked Newport, Rhode Island, when a 25-year-old man allegedly carjacked a woman at spear-point and set fire to a historic mansion. According to reports from WJAR, Foster Krupa is accused of threating a woman with a fishing spear after midnight on Bellevue Avenue and making off with her vehicle, which was later found damaged.
The chaos didn't end there, as police officers found themselves sustaining minor injuries in an attempt to promptly arrest Krupa near the scene. Meanwhile, the famed Carey Mansion, also known as Seaview Terrace, faced its own emergency as firefighters were called to extinguish several fires in the building's basement, which, according to WPRI, exhibited clear signs of arson.
Newport police have connected Krupa to the vandalism of several cars on Ruggles Avenue. In what seemed like a night of relentless destruction, Krupa now faces a litany of charges, ranging from robbery and arson to breaking and entering, as well as several counts of vandalism and resistance in apprehension. The accused arsonist is slated for arraignment in Newport District Court following these disturbing events.
The mansion, a breathtaking estate situated over seven acres, stands as one of Newport's last remaining privately-owned mansions with an intriguing history. "My grandmother bought it in 1949 and was very old when she did this, so my parents took over and they ran a summer school for 25 years or so. It became the largest residential summer school in the world," Mary Emerson, a neighbor, recalled in a statement obtained by WPRI. The mansion also notched a place in pop culture when its exterior was featured in the gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows".
