BLOOMFIELD — Police have arrested a nursing home resident in connection with the arson fire that happened over the weekend.
Police arrested Rodrick Peters, 73, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first degree arson and third degree assault. Peters was a resident of the Touchpoints Healthcare Facility, 140 Park Avenue.
The fire on Saturday was concentrated to one room in the facility. Officers began assisting in the evacuation of 27 patients. Many patients at Touchpoints are immobile. Out of the 27 patients, 5 were taken to a nearby hospital for continued care and evaluation. The other residents were relocated to another wing of the facility.
Police said Saturday that the suspect admitted that he started the fire because he no longer wanted to stay in the facility. He was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
On Feb. 26, 2003, sixteen people were killed when a woman set a fire at what was then called the Greenwood Health Center, a Hartford nursing home.
Leslie Andino, a patient in the facility, caused the fire by setting her blankets on fire. Andino was charged with 16 counts of arson murder, but was found incompetent to stand trial and committed to psychiatric care.
