Former Massapequa firefighter arraigned on arson charge

A former Massapequa volunteer firefighter denied charges Friday that he set fire to an abandoned car in West Babylon.

William Farrell, 54, pleaded not guilty to third-degree arson and third-degree criminal mischief at his arraignment before Judge Martin Efman in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead. Farrell remains free on $100,000 bond.

Farrell threw burning paper into a randomly selected car parked on a street in a West Babylon industrial park on April 10, Assistant District Attorney Peter Timmons said outside court. The motive for the arson was unclear, Timmons said.

Farrell was arrested after he was found watching the fire when police and firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze, Timmons said.

Farrell's attorney, Tad Scharfenberg of Bohemia, said Farrell is "a good family man" who works for a municipal government in Nassau County. He did not know Farrell's employer or job title.

"He's never been in trouble before," Scharfenberg said.

After his arrest, Farrell resigned from the Massapequa Fire Department, where he had been a volunteer firefighter for 30 years, Timmons said.

A representative of the fire department could not be immediately reached for comment.

Farrell is due back in court on Thursday.