A homeowner in rural New Hampshire found the most unusual time to take an early-morning joyride, according to the authorities.
Even more unusual was his choice of vehicle: a rescue truck, which he stole from the emergency responders who were fighting a blaze that eventually gutted his home before sunrise on Tuesday morning, court documents show.
Nestor Roman II, 30, who lived in the home in Dalton, a town of about 900 residents on the Vermont state line, is facing felony charges of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, stemming from his departure from the active fire scene at his home.
In this case, the weapon that officials said Mr. Roman used is a red 2009 Ford F-550 truck belonging to the Whitefield Fire Department. After Mr. Roman drove off, he nearly struck two firefighters and almost pinned a third firefighter between two large trucks, the Dalton Fire Department said in a statement online.
Mr. Roman also struck and damaged another Whitefield fire engine, which was “actively engaged” in fighting the fire at his home, officials said, adding that he drove over hoses and struck and damaged wooden fences at two other properties.
The damaged fire engine was able to continue operating, and the fire was extinguished. No firefighters were injured, officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said, and the two-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot home was destroyed.
A lawyer for Mr. Roman, Jay Duguay, did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday afternoon.
New Hampshire State Police troopers said they later received a report from a homeowner in Dalton that the stolen rescue vehicle had crashed on their property a few miles away. The caller also reported that Mr. Roman was trying to take items from their porch.
The troopers found Mr. Roman on the porch, they said, and he was arrested, after initially resisting them.
Both the rescue vehicle that Mr. Roman drove and the fire engine that he struck are out of service, the Whitefield fire chief, John Ross Jr., said in an email on Thursday. He could not say how much damage had been done, adding that he was meeting with an insurance adjuster on Friday.
Susan C. Beachy contributed research.
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