stolen

Mass. Man Charged With Setting Lobster Boat on Fire, Fleeing in Stolen Vessel,

A Marshfield, Massachusetts man has been arrested for allegedly setting a 40-foot lobster boat on fire and trying to escape in a stolen boat on the North River. 

David Pongonis, 36, was arraigned Wednesday on charges including larceny, using a motor boat without authority and malicious and wonton damage or defacement of property. 

Scituate police notified Marshfield authorities Wednesday at 5:50 a.m. they were responding to a boat fire in the South River. At the scene, the lobster boat was fully engulfed in flames and later sank, Marshfield police said. 

An investigation revealed another boat had been stolen from across the river and that it may have been used to flee the scene of the blaze.

Authorities used a drone and airplane to locate Pongonis. Police said the plane’s pilot spotted the stolen vessel in the North River near Route 3 before it was intercepted by police. 

Pongonis was arraigned Wednesday and released on personal recognizance. The investigation is ongoing.

Contact Us