CAMPTON, N.H. – A Massachusetts man was arrested early Wednesday morning after allegedly stealing a vehicle, setting it on fire, and attempting to flee from police.
According to the Campton Police Department, officers responded to a residence on Winterbrook Road at approximately 4:38 a.m. on February 19, 2025, after receiving a report of a suspicious person. The caller reported seeing an unknown male arrive in a Ford F-350 pickup truck and rummaging through vehicles in the driveway.
Upon arrival, officers encountered the suspect, later identified as Brian McCloskey, 50, of Fitchburg, MA, who began walking away from the truck. Police immediately noticed a small fire inside the vehicle, which quickly spread and engulfed the truck in flames.
Further investigation revealed that the truck had been reported stolen from Fitchburg, MA, on February 17, 2025. McCloskey was taken into custody and charged with multiple offenses, including:
Arson (Class B Felony)
Theft by Unauthorized Taking (Class A Felony)
Falsifying Physical Evidence (Class B Felony)
Criminal Mischief (Class A Felony)
Reckless Conduct (Class B Felony)
Criminal Trespassing (Violation)
Following his arrest, McCloskey was ordered held without bail on preventative detention pending his arraignment in Plymouth District Court.
The Campton Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the Campton-Thornton Fire Department and the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.
