A 17-year-old Jewish youth, who was a psychiatric in-patient in a Connecticut hospital, was arrested here yesterday and charged with an arson fire that damaged a local synagogue of which he was a member, as well as three other arson attacks.
Barry Dov Schuss surrendered voluntarily to authorities here yesterday and was charged with four counts of second degree arson. Police said his arrest closed the cases which had caused widespread concern and fear in the local Jewish community.
The fires were set on August 11 at the Young Israel Synagogue, of which the defendant and his family were members; on August 15 at the Emanuel Synagogue; on August 16 at the home of Rabbi Solomon Krupka, rabbi of the Young Israel congregation; and September 16 at the home of State Rep. Joan Kemler, who is Jewish. The fires caused extensive property damage but no injuries.
Judge Joseph Morelli of Superior Court ordered the youth returned to the un-named Connecticut hospital pending another court appearance on January 4. Bail was set at $25,000.
Francis Reynolds, the West Hartford police chief, said the youth had not given any specific reason for setting the fires. The State’s Attorney, John Bailey, said Schuss gave officials “a complete statement” about his connection with the arson attacks and that he took “full responsibility for them.” Reynolds said the police believed Schuss had acted alone.
Court officials said conviction on second-degree arson was punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment on each of the four counts but John Drowney, the youth’s attorney, said he would try to have the youth treated as a youthful offender. The maximum penalty for such an offender would be three years in prison on each count.
Rabbi Stanley Kessler, president of the Greater Hartford Rabbinic Fellowship, said “a nightmare for the community” was over. He called Schuss a “troubled young person.”
Judge Morelli sealed the court papers, the defendant’s statement to authorities, and the name of the hospital where the youth was being treated. Drowney said the paper were being sealed for “security reasons” and because of the “fragile state” of the youth. The police said they did not know how long he had been a patient or the nature of the treatment he had been getting.
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