NORTHAMPTON — A Hatfield teenager had his case continued without a finding for 18 months after an arson charge was dropped Tuesday in connection with a fire resulting from a box that was set ablaze on the porch of a house in Florence last Christmas.
Will J. Lombardi, 19, pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court in January to charges of arson and burning personal property.
Police said Lombardi set a box on fire and left it to burn on the front porch of a Florence home. Lombardi told investigators it was meant as a prank because he had been involved in an altercation at a party two weeks earlier with the 17-year-old girl who lived in the house, police said.
In the early morning hours of Christmas Day 2015, one of the homeowners noticed the blaze and was able to extinguish the flames before the house caught on fire.
On Tuesday, Lombardi admitted in Northampton District Court to there being sufficient facts on the charge of burning personal property, and his case was continued without a finding until Dec. 5, 2017.
During that time, Lombardi will be on probation and he must pay $3,000 in restitution, remain drug- and alcohol-free, continue counseling and participate in the restorative justice program, according to court records.
The restorative justice program is overseen by the Northwestern district attorney’s office and is designed to help accused people make amends with the victims in a criminal case.
“I think it’s the right result for this,” said John W. Drake, of Northampton, Lombardi’s attorney. “And it helps everyone to heal a little bit from this, if that’s possible at all.”
Lombardi also must pay an additional $90 in court fees and is prohibited from contacting family members who live in the Florence home, outside of participating in the restorative justice program.
Northampton Police Lt. Alan Borowski said Wednesday that detectives were satisfied with the case’s disposition.
“I think he was a young kid who definitely made a grave error in thinking that night,” Borowski said. “But I think the district attorney’s office made a fair resolution to the case.”
Authorities linked Lombardi to the incident after examining fire debris at the home and noticing his name on the burned FedEx box’s packaging label, police said.
“I don’t know why I thought fire would be a good prank,” Lombardi told investigators, according to a police report. Police said that Lombardi broke down crying at the close of the interview with authorities and repeatedly apologized to police.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5234.