A Waterville woman who allegedly started multiple fires with Molotov cocktails in her neighborhood has been indicted on felony charges of arson and criminal use of explosives.
Melissa Jane Breznyak, 36, was indicted by a Kennebec County grand jury on four counts of Class A arson charges and four counts of Class C criminal use of explosives charges for allegedly starting fires in the neighborhood around her Cool Street apartment. No homes were burned, only trees and brush, and damage appeared to be minimal as the fires didn’t spread on the morning of June 18 when they were discovered.
Police and fire officials, according to an affidavit in the case, said it appeared Breznyak was in a mental health crisis when the fires took place, and the previous day when officers responded to her apartment when she called for help. A mental health evaluation by the State Forensic Service will take place before the case proceeds, according to Capital Judicial Center documents.
An affidavit filed by Kenneth MacMaster, senior fire investigator for the Office of State Fire Marshal, states Waterville police responded to a report of a traffic hazard in the middle of Cool Street, near the Barnet Street intersection, the morning of June 18. Police found a pile of papers, cloth, food and glass bottles, which was still smoldering but appeared to have self-extinguished. Among those materials was a wine bottle, which police said looked like a Molotov cocktail, containing what the affidavit said appeared to be, and smelled like, gasoline and, at the bottle’s opening, a piece of cloth. Also among the charred materials were pages apparently torn from a Bible, which had writings on them that police said were similar to things Breznyak had told them the previous day after she called police to her home to report a male was trying to break into her apartment.
As police were investigating the Cool Street fire, Waterville firefighters responded to the intersection of Forest Park and Philbrook Street to extinguish a bush fire. MacMaster examined a fire-damaged tree at 28 Forest Park and spotted a heat and fire-damaged, smoke-stained wine bottle on the ground at the base of the tree. The underside of the tree was burned, along with ground vegetation there. The affidavit noted if the fire had been allowed to spread it could have gone from the tree to a utility pole near it and thus could have disrupted electrical service in the area of Forest Park.
At 29 Forest Park, another tree was found burned on its underside, with ground vegetation also burned there, and where authorities recovered another charred wine bottle with a fire damaged piece of cloth they described as a wick, in the bottle opening.
Breznyak, when confronted by police, denied setting the fires.
Police with a search warrant forced their way into Breznyak’s apartment, where she had used a heavy bureau as a barricade. Authorities reported a strong odor of what they said was likely gasoline in a closet bedroom, and they seized cloth they said was consistent with the cloth found at the fire scenes, and two Bic lighters.
An indictment is not a determination of guilt but indicates enough evidence exists for a case to move forward toward trial.
Also indicted by the grand jury, which met Aug. 18, were:
• Dylan L. Austin, 23, of Waterville, domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, two counts of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and violation of condition of release, June 14 in Waterville.
• Anthony Joseph Bailey, 24, of Augusta, three counts of assault and one count of terrorizing, June 4 in Augusta.
• Casey M. Bernardini, 33, of Augusta, misuse of identification, violation of condition of release and two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, Feb. 12 in Augusta.
• Henry N. Berry, 25, of Augusta, assault, May 13 in Augusta.
• Robert E. Bowring Jr., 39, of Presque Isle, arson and violation of condition of release, July 14 in Litchfield.
• Dylan A. Brown, 30, of Madison, unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and criminal forfeiture of $399, July 9 in Waterville.
• Stuart Bull, 51, of Augusta, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and criminal mischief, July 14 in Augusta.
• Lyle E. Burnham Jr., 43, of Belgrade, domestic violence assault, June 27 in Belgrade.
• Kyle J. Cathey, 37, of Litchfield, theft by unauthorized taking, July 9 in Waterville.
• Timothy Clark, 52, of Augusta, aggravated trafficking of schedule W drugs, cocaine base, Jan. 9, 2020, in Augusta; aggravated trafficking of schedule W drugs, heroin, and aggravated trafficking of schedule W drugs, cocaine base, Feb. 13, 2020, in Augusta; aggravated trafficking of schedule W drugs, fentanyl powder, May 21, 2020, in Augusta.
• Alexander V. Copeland, 24, of Lincolnville, robbery, June 18 in Augusta.
• Alicia M. Corrieri, 34, of Vassalboro, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, Feb. 24 in Vassalboro.
• Scott Darville, 59, also known as Scott Roberts, no address listed, theft by deception, on or about Dec. 1, 2011, through on or about April 30, 2015, in Kennebec County.
• Justin A. Degreenia, 32, of Augusta, operating after revocation and violation of condition of release, Sept. 21, 2021, in Windsor.
• William R. Delosh, 60, of Augusta, failure to comply with duty under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 1999, on or between May 19, 2021, and May 5, 2022, in Augusta.
• Jarret P. Fortin, 29, of Winslow, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and violation of condition of release, Oct. 5, 2021, in Vassalboro; and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, containing methamphetamine, Jan. 22 in Waterville.
• Emanuel C. Galarraga, 20, of South Portland, eluding an officer, criminal operating under the influence, criminal speed and driving to endanger, April 2 in Waterville.
• Joshua J. Hartley, 37, of Canaan, domestic violence stalking, on or between April 1 and June 12 in Clinton; domestic violence assault, on or between April 1 and April 7 in Clinton; domestic violence assault, on or between April 1 and April 15 in Clinton; domestic violence assault, on or between April 1 and April 30 in Clinton; criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence assault and criminal restraint, June 9 in Clinton; domestic violence assault, June 10 in Clinton; reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence assault, obstructing the report of a crime and criminal restraint, June 12 in Clinton.
• Brandon V. Knox, 26, of Augusta, theft by unauthorized taking and violation of condition of release, April 18 in Augusta.
• Caryann Lovely, 53, of Newport, unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, July 9 in Waterville.
• Joshua R. Lund, 33, of Augusta, aggravated assault, aggravated criminal mischief, assault and violation of condition of release, June 26 in Pittston.
• Max Mathew McKechnie, 33, of Litchfield, domestic violence assault, July 16 in Winthrop.
• Cameron Louis Morrison, 23, of Winslow, domestic violence assault, July 15 in Winslow.
• Katie N. Murray, 29, of Skowhegan, theft by unauthorized taking, April 21 in Waterville.
• Ramon J. Nunez, 67, of Augusta, aggravated assault, domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence assault, June 14 in Augusta.
• David M. Parker, 43, of Thorndike, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, July 17 in Waterville; and terrorizing, on or between July 16 and July 17, in Waterville.
• Clifton A. Pinion, 45, of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, failure to give correct name and permitting unlawful use, July 18 in Waterville.
• Matthew F. Pinion, 45, of Methuen, Massachusetts, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, refusing to submit to arrest, unlawful use of a license and failure to give correct name, July 18 in Waterville.
• Quinones O. Rembert, 63, of Augusta, domestic violence assault, July 4 in Augusta.
• Angela L. Russo, 44, of Augusta, aggravated assault, July 6 in Augusta.
• David Allen Sargent, 48, of Waterville, aggravated unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, fentanyl powder, aggravated unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, cocaine base and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, containing hydromorphone, July 23 in Waterville.
• Joshua Settle, 49, of Industry, terrorizing with a dangerous weapon and refusing to submit to arrest, April 8 in Waterville.
• Kyle A. Sterling, 28, of Augusta, assault on a child less than 6 years old, on or between Feb. 16, 2021, and April 4, 2021, in Augusta.
• Anthony J. Williams, 38, of Augusta, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, terrorizing and violation of condition of release, June 21 in Augusta.
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