Man Charged with Torching New York Thousand Islands Motel in September

November 1, 2017

The husband of a former manager of a motel in New York’s Thousand Islands region has been charged with setting a fire that destroyed most of the business in September.

State police say they’ve charged 41-year-old Francis Babcock, of Alexandria Bay, with arson. Troopers say he started the Sept. 13 fire that burned down a large section of the Boardwalk Motel in the village of Alexandria Bay, a popular tourist destination on the St. Lawrence River.

No one was injured.

WWNY-TV in Watertown reports that Babcock’s wife was a manager at the motel, but police say no clear motive for the arson has been determined. Village police say images from the motel’s surveillance cameras helped lead to the arrest.

Babcock is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $20,000 bail. It wasn’t clear if he has a lawyer.

Topics New York

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