A Flanders man was charged with arson after he was caught setting fire to safety bollards in a Route 58 shopping center last night, according to Riverhead Town Police.
Officers responded to a 911 call at about 9:45 p.m. reporting that a man was setting fire to poles in front of the vacant former Wal-Mart building at 765 Old Country Road, according to a police press release. Upon arrival, officers observed Christopher J. Delane setting fire to safety bollard covers in front of the unoccupied building, police said.
Delane, 47, was arrested and transported to police headquarters where he was processed and charged with arson in the fifth degree. He was held for arraignment in Riverhead Justice Court.
Riverhead Fire Department responded to extinguish the fires, police said.
Steel pipe safety bollards are used as barriers in commercial places to protect pedestrians and buildings from vehicles. Bollard covers, often made of plastic, protect the steel pipe from corrosion and weathering.
Arson in the fifth degree is a class A misdemeanor.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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