Sources have confirmed to MassLive that a person was taken into custody Friday morning in connection with the fatal fire that claimed the life of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy. Roy was killed Dec. 9 after fighting flames at 7 Lowell St. on Dec. 9. The 36-year-old became trapped on the second floor. Though fellow firefighters pulled Roy out of the building, he succumbed to his injuries. Sources confirmed the suspect was arrested and booked on arson and murder charges in Roy’s death. A press conference has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. where Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. plans to announce a “significant development” in the investigation of the blaze. As of Friday morning, a death certificate on file at the Worcester city clerk’s office lists Roy’s cause of death as “pending." However, WCVB citing sources reported that Roy’s death was ruled a homicide. MassLive reporter Scott J. Croteau contributed to this story.<doc-sep>WORCESTER (CBS) – The death of Worcester firefighter Christopher Roy late last year has been ruled a homicide and a man was charged with his murder Friday. Roy, a 36-year-old father of a young daughter, died fighting a five-alarm fire at a home on Lowell Street December 9. He was a two-year veteran of the department. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Worcester Police arrested 21-year-old Momoh Kamara at his home in West Boylston Friday morning. Kamara is charged with second-degree murder, arson and armed burglary. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him at his arraignment in Worcester District Court and was ordered held without bail. Early said the fire was set in the basement of the home and that Kamara once lived there. He was not living there at the time of the fire, Early said, but he knew people who did. An autopsy determined that Roy died of smoke inhalation, the D.A. said at an afternoon news conference announcing the charges. “While the current finding, that the fire that took the life of Firefighter Christopher Roy was arson, our focus continues to be on the safety and well-being of Chris’ daughter, Ava, and the Roy family,” Rich MacKinnon, president of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, said in a statement. “As firefighters we take an oath to protect the public at all costs and understand the inherent risks with each call. We thank District Attorney Joe Early, Jr., for his comprehensive investigation and ask the public to keep the Roy family in your thoughts as they continue to grieve and attempt to move forward, and give them the privacy they deserve.” Worcester Firefighters IAFF Local 1009 established a fund back in December to benefit Roy’s 9-year-old daughter Ava. Checks made out to the AVA ROY FUND can be mailed to the Worcester Fire Department Credit Union at 34 Glennie St., Worcester, MA 01605. Roy’s mother, Michelle, said he “lived for his daughter.”<doc-sep>The suspect arrested in connection with the December death of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy has been identified as 21-year-old Momoh Kamara. Arrest log information reviewed by MassLive at the Worcester Police Department shows Kamara was arrested on a warrant this morning in West Boylston on charges of murder, arson, armed burglary and malicious damage to a motor vehicle. Kamara, of 157 Hartwell St. in West Boylston, is being transported to the Worcester courthouse. He was booked this morning at the Worcester Police Department. Sources confirmed to MassLive that the arrest is in connection with the December fatal blaze that claimed the life of Roy at 7 Lowell St. The District Attorney’s Office has a press conference planned for Friday afternoon, in connection with a “major development” in the case, but has not confirmed the arrest or charges.<doc-sep>Months after a five-alarm blaze claimed the life of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. was finally able to announce that a suspect is being charged with the firefighter’s death on Friday. A Worcester County Grand Jury indicted 21-year-old Momoh Kamara, of 157 Hartwell St. in West Boylston, on charges of second degree murder, arson of a dwelling, armed burglary and malicious destruction of a motor vehicle, Early said during a press conference. He praised a team investigative effort by his office, the Worcester police and fire departments, as well as ATF and other officials. Worcester firefighters filled the courtroom as Early made the announcement, hands folded and a solemn look in their eyes. “While we are heartened that Mr. Kamara will face justice, our department is still devastated by the loss of our brother firefighter Christopher Roy,” Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie said during the press conference. Kamara is a former resident of 5-7 Lowell St., Early said, the three-story building that caught fire on Dec. 9. Roy and fellow firefighters tried to quell the five-alarm blaze as flames grew. But Roy became trapped on the second floor of the six-unit building. After fellow firefighters pulled Roy out of the burning building, he succumbed to his injuries. The loss of 36-year-old Roy in December was mourned by many in the city and greater region - upwards of 10,000 firefighters attended Roy’s funeral. The loss was especially heart-wrenching for the Worcester Fire Department, which has a sad history of firefighter deaths in the month of December, including the loss of the “Worcester Six” in the Cold Storage Warehouse Fire on Dec. 3, 1999, and the death of Firefighter Jon D. Davies Sr. in a Dec. 8, 2011 blaze. On Friday morning, Kamara was arrested in West Boylston on a warrant charging him with murder, arson, armed burglary and malicious damage to a motor vehicle in connection with the fatal fire and Roy’s death. At his arraignment in Worcester Superior Court Friday afternoon, Kamara pleaded not guilty. He was ordered held without bail. An exact motive for the crime was not released, but prosecutor Jeffrey Travers did say that when Kamara lived at 5-7 Lowell St., he had disagreements with roommates. It appeared that on the morning of the fatal fire, Kamara took an Uber early that dropped him off near Clark University in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood. Police tracked Kamara’s movements from there by utilizing surveillance video, which showed him entering Lowell Street around 2:30 a.m., Travers said during the arraignment. Kamara set several fires in the basement while residents were inside the 100-year-old building, according to the prosecutor. The fire was reported at 3:58 a.m., Travers said. The Worcester Police Department arrived at the scene at 4:04 a.m., Travers said. Firefighters arrived one minute later. Surveillance video picked up images of Kamara leaving Lowell Street near the intersection with Main Street within four or five minutes of police and fire arriving at the fire, Travers said. Kamara then walked away and took a Lyft ride out of Worcester. Kamara has never been convicted of a crime but was accused of strangling his girlfriend in 2017. The case was dismissed a few months later. Roy, who had been a firefighter for two and a half years, lived in Shrewsbury with his 9-year-old daughter, Ava. Week after week fundraisers to support Ava have been announced across Central Massachusetts. Lavoie, Early, Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent and Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. all said the Roy family has remained in their thoughts in the months since the blaze. “The past three months have been extremely difficult for all of us as we continue to mourn his loss,” Lavoie said. “The Roy family remains in our thoughts and hearts as the investigation moves forward to the prosecution phase.” Sargent said the city came together in one of its darkest moments. “We will never forget his sacrifice,” Sargent said, adding that Roy defines what it means to be a hero. When thousands mourned the loss of Roy at his funeral, he was remembered as a martyr. "What Chris did the other morning, of course it went way beyond the norm because this is what you do" as a firefighter, Rev. Walter Riley, the Worcester Fire Department Chaplain said during Roy's funeral Mass. “Christopher Roy is at peace after a Sunday morning of treachery, disorientation,” Riley said. “Christopher Roy is a Worcester martyr.” Friends and family recalled his endless love for his daughter. “You were your father’s world,” Roy’s friend and fellow firefighter, David Scavone, told Ava during a eulogy for Roy. “He moved heaven and Earth to give you the best life possible that you deserved.” Members of the fire department have remained committed to their jobs even while grieving the death of Roy. “I want to ensure this community that our firefighters before this fire and since have exhibited the courage to answer every call for help and the bravery to get their jobs done and that’s not going to change,” Michael Papagni, the president of the Worcester Firefighters IAFF Local 1009. The fire chief echoed that sentiment. “Our members have not and will not waiver from their commitment to serve whenever and wherever we are called,” Lavoie said. As of Friday morning, a death certificate on file at the Worcester city clerk’s office listed Roy’s cause of death as smoke inhalation, the manner of death as homicide and the time of death listed as 6:25 p.m. on Dec. 9. Previously, the certificate listed Roy’s cause of death as “pending.” In mid-February The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, started its investigation into Roy’s death. The Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program by NIOSH is intended to help provide information to prevent future fatalities by identifying factors that contributed to firefighter deaths. The program is not intended to enforce compliance with regulations or assess culpability. The agency said it is difficult to determine how long it will take to complete an investigation and release a report.<doc-sep>
As investigators tried to track down the cause of a fire that claimed the life of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy, surveillance video led them to a suspect who used ride-sharing services to get to and from the house on the morning of the fire. Momoh Kamara, who now lives at 157 Hartwell St. in West Boylston, was once a resident of 5-7 Lowell St., an apartment building that has been described as two three-decker homes combined into one structure by construction, prosecutors said. That address was the scene of a fire on Dec. 9, which ultimately led to the death of Roy, a firefighter who had been on the force for two and a half years. Investigating Roy’s death, Worcester police were able to locate several surveillance videos around Lowell Street, prosecutor Jeffrey Travers said in Worcester Superior Court Friday. It appeared that Kamara took an Uber early that morning, which dropped him off near Clark University in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood. Surveillance video tracked Kamara’s movements from there and showed him entering Lowell Street around 2:30 a.m., Travers said. Kamara set several fires in the basement, according to the prosecutor. The fire was reported at 3:58 a.m. while residents were inside the 100-year-old building, Travers said. The Worcester Police Department arrived at the scene at 4:04 a.m., Travers said. Firefighters arrived one minute later. Surveillance video picked up images of Kamara leaving Lowell Street near the intersection with Main Street within four or five minutes of police and fire arriving at the fire, Travers said. Kamara then walked away and took a Lyft ride out of Worcester. Kamara was indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury on charges of second-degree murder, arson of a dwelling and armed robbery on Friday morning. Hours later, Kamara appeared in Worcester Superior Court for his arraignment. Worcester firefighters filled the courtroom, looking on as Kamara faced a judge. The 21-year-old leaned down to a courtroom microphone and pleaded not guilty. Judge William Sullivan ordered Kamara held without bail. He is scheduled to return to court on April 24. As firefighters attacked the flames, Roy and five other firefighters became trapped on the second floor, Travers said. Five of the firefighters were able to scramble out of the building through windows and onto ladders, one firefighter losing a boot in the process, Travers said. But Roy was lost in the building with his air tank running low, the prosecutor said. A rescue effort was launched and Roy was eventually pulled from the building. The charges against Kamara are the first major development in the case since December. Officials still have not said what caused the fire. On Friday, a death certificate was issued, stating the cause of Roy’s death was smoke inhalation and the manner was homicide. The fire remains under investigation by agencies including Early’s office, ATF and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.