EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — A Coventry man has been arrested and charged with arson following a fire that trapped a building occupant earlier this month.
Terel Molina, 27, of Coventry, was arrested on Jan. 14 and charged with first degree arson.
On Jan. 10, at approximately 1 a.m., East Providence police officers responded to the rear lot of 1990 Pawtucket Ave. for the report of a fire.
Upon arrival, officers located a black rug burning outside the building’s south entrance.
Officers used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.
The building was occupied at the time of the fire.
A building occupant attempted to exit the building after witnessing the fire actively burning but was unable to flee to safety due to the size of the flames.
The East Providence Fire Department and Emergency Management Agency and the East Providence Police Detectives Division responded to the scene.
East Providence Police Detective Corp. Patrick Kelley was the lead investigator on the case.
Following a thorough investigation, Detective Corp. Kelley tracked down video surveillance footage of the incident.
The investigation also led to the identification and location of a vehicle associated with the arson suspect, who had purchased motor oil at a local convenience store and used it as an accelerant in the fire.
Through the investigation, Molina was identified as the suspect.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call East Providence Police at 401-435-7600.
