Molotov madness in Waterville

The Kennebec Journal succinctly covered this outrageous story of teens run amuck in Waterville:

Police arrest 5 in arson fire
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel
04/01/2009

WATERVILLE -- Five people were arrested Tuesday and charged with arson and burglary in connection with an incident at the former Boys & Girls Club building at 6 Main Place.

Police Chief Joseph Massey said the two adults and three youths made Molotov cocktails by filling liquor bottles with gasoline and rags and throwing them inside an empty swimming pool in the vacant facility on March 19. The explosions caused flames to shoot up to 20 feet in the air, Massey said.

Those involved in the March 19 incident videotaped the activity and placed it on YouTube, accompanied by heavy metal music and a list of credits -- the names of those who made the video.

Four more people -- three male adults and a 16-year-old male juvenile -- are expected to be arrested in the case, he said.

Those arrested Tuesday included Jesse Ferran, 19, of Waterville and Nicholas Laws, 19, of Winslow. Massey said he could not name the other three arrested Tuesday because they are juveniles. They are a male and female, both 17 and from Waterville, and a 14-year-old boy from Winslow, he said.

[Source]

The Portland Press Herald reported further on April 3:

Joseph Church, 20, of Fairfield and the 16-year-old, who lives in Waterville, turned themselves in to police Wednesday, said Detective David Caron. The arrests brought the number of people charged in the case to seven. Caron said two more adults – one of whom lives in another state – are expected to be charged.
[...]
The parent of one of the suspects saw the video, got alarmed and took her son to the police station to report the incident, Massey said.

[Source]

In the wake of last spring's car firebombs in Portland, it seems unlikely that behavior of this type will be overlooked by authorities as a mere destructive prank. According to the website of WCSH6-TV, this is not the first explosive-related offense for some of the suspects.

Image from Waterville Police Department, taken from the seized video.