East Hartford man charged in Glastonbury Dumpster fire

Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Nov. 16—GLASTONBURY — A, East Hartford man is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond while facing a felony charge of reckless burning based on the accusation that he set a fire in a Dumpster at a local gas station and car wash on Oct. 14, authorities say.

Ronald Edward VanAllen, 54, of 15 Blinn St., is also facing a misdemeanor count of second-degree criminal mischief in the incident, police and court records show.

Police say they arrested VanAllen last Thursday afternoon as he rode his bicycle on Hebron Avenue and held him in lieu of a $50,000 bond for an appearance the next day in Manchester Superior Court.

RECKLESS BURNING

ARRESTED: Ronald Edward VanAllen, 54, of 15 Blinn St., East Hartford

CHARGES: Reckless burning and second-degree criminal mischief; held in lieu of a $50,000 bond at the Hartford Correctional Center for his next appearance in Manchester Superior Court on Dec. 8

ACCUSATION: Glastonbury police say he set a fire in a Dumpster at the Shell station at 2749 Main St. on Oct. 14

The bond remains unchanged after his first court appearance, records show. He is an inmate at the Hartford Correctional Center and is next due in court Dec. 8, online court and state Department of Correction records show.

The Dumpster fire occurred at 7:15 p.m. Oct 14 at the Shell station at 2749 Main St., according to Lt. Corey Davis, the Police Department spokesman.

"VanAllen had a dispute with employees at the gas station's car wash the previous evening about getting paid more for his help around the car wash," Davis said in an email, "VanAllen allegedly had threatened to start a fire on the premise and made good on that promise the next evening."

State law defines reckless burning as setting a fire that recklessly puts another person's building "in danger of destruction or damage."

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.

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