The Holyoke Police Department has reported an arrest in connection with a car fire that was determined to be set intentionally. Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan disclosed that the incident occurred on Sunday, August 11th, when police officers and firefighters were called to a car fire on the 200 block of Maple Street at about 6:30 a.m., according to a social media post from the department.
The work of State Police Arson K9 George was crucial as the dog alerted investigators to the presence of accelerants at the scene leading to a more targeted investigation Holyoke Firefighters and Massachusetts State Police Troopers assigned to the Fire Marshal’s office collaborated in using this evidence in reviewing video footage, where they spotted a suspect wielding a machete to damage the vehicle before placing an item inside it, soon thereafter the car went up in smoke. The collaboration between local and state agencies exemplifies the shared mission to address such violent acts of destruction within the community, embeds a sense of cross-jurisdictional cooperation essential for preserving the weave of public safety.
In the following investigation, the detectives scrutinizing video footage were able to pinpoint 40-year-old Jorge Ramos as the individual allegedly responsible for the damage and subsequent arson. The suspect can be seen in the footage, engaging in the act that eventually led to the vehicle's destruction.
According to the Holyoke Police, Ramos was located and arrested yesterday at around 2:00 p.m. in the very same block where the incident took place Ramos faces charges including 'Arson of Personal Property' and 'Injury/Deface Real or Personal Property,' as they moved quickly to process the scene and then identify make the arrest within just two days, potential fast action hopefully may be serve as a deterrent to similar crimes in the future. More details on the arrest and charges have been provided on the Holyoke Police Department's official Facebook page.
