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Woman tried lighting people on fire at Downtown Crossing supermarket, police say

Boston Police report arresting Syretta Copeland, 42, on charges she went around the Roche Bros. store on Summer Street spraying people with aerosol cleaning products and then trying to set them on fire with a lighter.

Copeland was unsuccessful in her attempts and was unable to run fast enough to evade officers when they arrived around 4:40 p.m., police say.

She was charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon, possession of an incendiary device and resisting arrest, police say.

This is the second time she's been charged with trying to set people on fire, although the first involved allegedly trying to torch a Dorchester building in 2011.

Innocent, etc.

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Comments

Looks like it's attempted murder if you try to set fire to a building, but not to a person.

From 2011

Syretta Copeland, 31, was arraigned this morning in Salem District Court for Assault & Battery on a Police Officer, and is also being held in connection with Arson and Attempted Murder Charges arising out of a Dorchester fire last weekend.

Boston Police allege that Syretta Copeland allegedly set the fire to a home on Devon Street in Dorchester, which then spread to another home. Suffolk County prosecutors expect Ms. Copeland to be brought into Dorchester District Court at some point to be formally arraigned on Arson and Attempted Murder Charges.

The Massachusetts Crime of Arson is defined as the willful and malicious burning of a building or dwelling, and is punishable by up to 20 years in state prison.

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Just read the story about teens taunting and assaulting Transit cops with condoms now this
strange story. You can't make this stuff up.

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I can imagine this Roche bros pyro story as one of the minor character backstories they'd do on Orange is the new Black. The Boston Burner.

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Umtellinya, ya gotta put the phones away in public and use your eyes, ears and survival instincts to just avoid and slip out the back. Prices in the grocery stories will make anyone inside who's middle poor or poorer inside ready to rage.

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