3 Accused Of Intentionally Setting Fatal Fire In Lowell

LOWELL, MA – Authorities said Thursday that two people have been arrested and three people charged in connection with intentionally setting a fatal fire to an apartment building on Westford Street last month.

The Feb. 10 fire left one resident dead and injured three people who lived there, two firefighters and a police officer. It also forced a mother to have to jump from the second floor of a burning building, tossing her baby into the arms of police officers below.

In the end, more than 50 people were displaced, according to a joint statement by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, Lowell Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson and Lowell Fire Chief Phil Charron.

Authorities arrested and charged a 20-year-old man with murder and arson and his 19-year-old girlfriend was charged with evidence tampering. Police are have charged a 16-year-old with murder and arson, but are still looking for him.

The State Fire Marshal’s office said the three-alarm fire was likely intentionally set by the application of an open flame to available combustibles, early Feb. 10.

Surveillance footage showed Julian Boykins, 20, and Alexander Gaye, 16, both of Lowell arriving to the building, and going into the back of the building, shortly before the fire engulfed it, according to prosecutors. The video also shows the two men, leaving together and getting into a small car, they said.

A week later, police found surveillance video of the same car at a Merrimack Street gas station in Lowell. Later that day, police found the car with Boykins in the passenger seat and arrested him on an unrelated warrant.

Police determined Boykins and Gaye went to the apartments to set fire to a trash bag. Prosecutors said while Boykins was in custody he instructed his girlfriend, Tanya Karadanis to remove the SIM card from his phone and destroy it.

Boykins and Karadanis were arrested Thursday at a Pawtucket Street home, police said.

Lowell Police are still searching for Gaye and believe the 16-year-old is somewhere in Greater Lowell. Authorities ask anyone with information about where he may be to contact them.

Police charged Boykins with murder, arson of a dwelling, three counts of armed assault to murder, injury to a firefighter, intimidation of a witness and conspiracy. They charged Gaye with murder, arson of a dwelling, three counts of armed assault to murder, injury to a firefighter and intimidation of a witness. They charged Karadanis with evidence tampering and conspiracy.