Malden Man Pleads Guilty To Arson Fire

WOBURN- Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced today that a Malden man has admitted to setting a fire earlier this year in the building where he lived which led to injuries to two firefighters and caused property damage.

On December 22, Namit Thapa, 28, of Malden pleaded guilty in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn to charges of arson of a dwelling house and arson causing injury to a firefighter.  Judge Mitchell H. Kaplan sentenced Thapa to three to four years in state prison on each charge, to run concurrently.

“I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for several people to have to wake up to smoke and fire in their home,” said District Attorney Ryan.  “Fortunately, they were able to rush outside and were not hurt, however, two firefighters were injured.  The actions of those firefighters were heroic because they rushed into the burning building having had a report that the defendant was still inside.  Only later did it come to light that Namit Thapa set the fire, ran out of the building, and left the area.”

According to authorities, on May 9, 2014, at approximately 5:30am, the Malden Fire Department received a report of a fire at a multi-unit home located at 63 Converse Avenue.  When first responders arrived at the scene, they found an active fire and numerous residents outside of the building.  Since Thapa was not outside the building with his neighbors, firefighters attempted to locate him inside the building, not knowing that he had already left the area.

The 3-alarm fire displaced seven people.  In addition to the Malden Police and Fire Departments, fire companies from Melrose, Everett, Medford, and Saugus responded and assisted.  Two firefighters, one from Malden and one from Saugus, were treated at area hospitals and released.  The building was so badly burned that it had to be condemned.
 
Investigators learned that after the fire on May 9, Thapa confessed to someone that he was responsible for setting it.  Thapa later confessed to police as well.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Doug Nagengast.  The victim witness advocate is Kristen Chamberlain.  The case was investigated by Massachusetts State Police, the Malden Police Department, and the Malden Fire Department.