Firefighters foil burglar's plan to break into car outside fire station

BOSTON — A group of three Boston firefighters is being praised for foiling a would-be car break-in in front of their very own fire station.

It all happened on Boylston Street where the suspect is accused of stealing a crowbar from the bed of one of the firefighters' pickup truck that had been parked right outside the Back Bay fire station.

According to police, the suspect intended to use that crowbar to break into a car that belongs to another firefighter.

In broad daylight, the three firefighters chased the suspect for about half a mile, where police eventually caught up with him. The trio chased down the suspect from the Back Bay Fire Station to the Fenway intersection of Stoneholm and Edgerly streets near the Berkelee College of Music.

"That’s unbelievable, they did that it’s certainly not within their purview to do that," said Alex Dontchos, who praised the firefighters' actions. "There’s a lot more to being a firefighter than putting fires out."

At one point, the suspect, 44-year-old Fernando Arroyo, swung the crowbar at the firefighters, nearly hitting one of them in the head.

"That’s what firefighters do, they’re always there to do the things you would hope they would do to help," said Cathy Maclaury, who also applauds the firefighters' actions.

Arroyo is now facing several charges, including malicious damage to a motor vehicle and assault by means of a dangerous weapon. He is expected to be arraigned sometime on Tuesday.

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