New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Fairhaven Police Detectives arrested a 44 year old New Bedford resident Thursday night and charged him with four counts of arson. Jason Majocka was arrested after Fairhaven Detectives obtained a search warrant for his residence, located at 116 Hope Street, New Bedford. The arrest was based on four cases of arson that occurred in Fairhaven on July 21st during the evening hours.
Fairhaven Police and Fire Departments responded to the first fire that destroyed a trash barrel just before 5:30 pm on Adams Street just south of the Route 195 overpass. A second fire was reported approximately one hour later at the Friendly’s restaurant on Route Six. When Police and Fire personnel arrived, they found the restaurant’s dumpster on fire. Also set ablaze was a garden shed located on the property of the Hastings Middle School not far from where the dumpster was located. Fairhaven Firefighters quickly extinguished both fires. Later that night, just after 10:30 pm, a fourth fire was reported. A portable outhouse, located behind Hastings Middle School was set on fire and completely destroyed.
Fairhaven Police Officer Andrew Quintin encountered Jason Majocka in the parking lot of the middle school. He identified him and took note of the clothing he was wearing. When Fairhaven Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the middle school, they observed Majocka walking in the area where all three fires that had been set. In the video, Majocka was seen wearing the same clothing he was wearing when he encountered Officer Quintin.
Fairhaven Police Detectives Jerald Bettencourt and Scott Gordon pieced together this information and applied for the search warrant they later executed at Majocka’s residence, with help from New Bedford Police Detectives. Majocka was taken into custody at that time and arraigned in Third District Court Friday morning on four counts of arson.
