2 boys charged with arson in Levittown HS fire

Two boys, ages 11 and 12, were arrested on arson charges Thursday in connection with a January fire that caused more than $100,000 in damages at a Levittown high school, Nassau County police said.

The boys were arrested about 9 a.m., police said, and will be charged as juveniles in Family Court.

"My contention is that this was an intentional fire," Det. Sgt. Gregg Lesmeister of the Nassau County arson-bomb squad said. "It wasn't an accident."

On Jan. 3, at about 2:50 p.m., a fire spread from rubber matting under the football bleachers at Division Avenue High School in Levittown and damaged the bleachers, a concession stand, a gym and track equipment, police said.

Herman Sirois, superintendent of Levittown schools, said the two boys arrested appeared to be Levittown students. If found responsible, he said the pair would be disciplined appropriately, probably suspended.

Sirois agreed that fire damage was "major," adding the district would follow its usual policy of attempting to collect damages from the juveniles' families.

He said the district and some students had cooperated in helping police identify the suspects. "Our students were pretty mad about this - that was their track," he said.

The Levittown Fire Department responded with five trucks and 50 firefighters. There were no injuries, officials said.

Lesmeister said the motive behind the arson was not clear but the arrests were the result of "old-fashion" police work, adding, "We did a lot of talking to kids."

The investigation also included Eighth Squad detectives and the Nassau County fire marshal's office.