Middle School Arson Arrest

In the early morning hours of May 23rd, 2020, Portsmouth Fire and Police Departments responded to and investigated an arson fire at 155 Parrot Avenue, the Portsmouth Middle School. The NH State Fire Marshal’s Office and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms assisted with the on-scene investigation.

Further follow up by the Portsmouth Police Investigative Division revealed that a male had launched a canoe in the Town of Kittery, sometime after midnight, and paddled to Portsmouth, where he docked on a South End pier. The male proceeded from there on foot to the Middle School, carrying a propane bottle and a bucket of a liquid flammable.

Just after 3:00 AM, the male is seen on surveillance video, smashing out the front window of the school and placing the propane and bucket inside the lobby before lighting them on fire. The male then fled the area back to the canoe. Hampton Police had interaction with the male later in the day, canoeing in the Ocean off the beach, and subsequent to that, the male was arrested in Rye for Criminal Trespass, Disorderly Conduct, and Breach of Bail.

The male was identified as:

Christoph M. Berger

Age: 24

No Fixed Address

Charges:

Arson; Class A Felony

Possession of Infernal Machine; Class A Felony

Burglary; Class A Felony

Breach of Bail; Class A Misdemeanor

Berger was also arrested by this agency the prior day on May 22nd, for driving the wrong way on Congress St. and smashing out the window of Bennett’s Sandwich shop before leading the police on a pursuit into Newington.

Berger will be arraigned by the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office on June 2nd by video.

We would like to thank the community for responding to our request for assistance during this investigation.

Captain Darrin Sargent for Chief Robert Merner