After a string of suspicious fires in the Hazardville section of Enfield, police offered reassurances to concerned neighbors at a community meeting Wednesday night, explaining that investigators are following leads and doing everything they can to catch the culprit.
Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza spoke before a crowd of about 200 people alongside other fire officials at a community meeting held at the Enfield Senior Center.
“We are all on pins and needles. All on pins and needles, looking out the windows all the time,” explained Enfield resident Nancy Bailey.
Ten suspicious fires have broken out since August, mostly in vacant buildings and empty cars, according to police. Now neighbors are keeping their lights on, putting away cars and searching for answers.
“What, in fact, is being done about it? Why, why is it continuing? Why is it so difficult to catch the perpetrator?” asked Joe Lomenzo.
Because the case is still open, Sferrazza said he can't reveal details of the investigation, except to say the department is putting every resource into the manhunt.
“It’s totally unprecedented that we would have a meeting to discuss a case that is still ongoing,” said Sferrazza. “I can’t tell you it’s going to be next week or the week after, but this will end.”
Sferrazza said investigators are following leads. State and federal officials have joined the investigation, and there was even talk of bringing in a profiler.
But not everyone is satisfied with the status of the investigation.
“I think there are other resources that they need to employ and bring into the situation,” explained resident Joshua Mills, who said during the meeting that concern about another fire keeps his daughter up at night.
Police will post fliers around town offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.
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Until a suspect is behind bars, police are reminding residents to keep their lights on, lock their cars, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
