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Northampton District Court and Hampshire Superior Court on Gothic Street.

(Republican file photo)

NORTHAMPTON -- A 19-year-old has been accused of leaving a flaming cardboard box on a Florence home's front porch on Christmas Eve, an incident investigators say was an act of retaliation.

Will Lombardi of Hatfield was arraigned in Northampton District Court Friday on charges of arson of a dwelling/house and burn personality, according to court documents.

On Dec. 25 at around 1 a.m., Northampton officers were dispatched to home on New Street in Florence. An owner of the house said he was unplugging a lighted wreath outside shortly after midnight when he noticed an orange glow on his front porch, police reports said.

When he realized a box was burning there, he extinguished the flaming cardboard by throwing a glass of water onto it before calling police, reports said. Officers later found that there was "clear and permanent damage" to the wood on the front porch.

Police said the package contained a "substance consistent with excrement," leading to the initial conclusion that the incident had been a prank, police said. Officers later found that there was no such substance in the box.

Officers inspected the box and found Lombardi's name and address on a shipping sticker.

The residents of the home reported having good relations with the neighbors, and could not think of anyone who would have the motive to prank them, police said.

But the female owner of the home later told police her daughter, who is a student at Northampton High School, had a negative run-in with Lombardi at a small party recently after she asked him to leave.

The daughter told police Lombardi became "extremely agitated" with her, and after the party sent her threatening and harassing messages on Facebook laced with expletives. Police apprehended one of the messages for evidence.

When interviewed by police, Lombardi said he was "really upset" with the girl after the altercation, but that he "would never want to hurt her."

Lombardi told police that his memory was fuzzy from that night, but that he was fairly certain he had committed the act because his name was on the box. Lombardi said he smoked marijuana that night but did not consume alcohol.

He told investigators that he "probably" retrieved a box and lit in on fire, and the box was "probably" from his car.

"We lit it and ran," he said during a police interview, adding belatedly, "I guess."

When asked how he came up with the idea to do this, he told officers, "I don't like this girl," according to police records.

"In hindsight it was a little dangerous and not a good thing to do," Lombardi also told police.

At first, Lombardi said he was with three friends during the incident, but later indicated that he was alone.

Lombardi was released on the conditions that he remain alcohol and drug free until his case is closed, and that he stay away from the house on New Street and its residents.

He is due back in court on March 15 for a pretrial hearing.



Correction: The original story indicated there was excrement inside the box. Police later found that there was not, indeed, any such substance inside the box, but that information was not redacted from reports.