By Stephen J. Bronner
Lacey, a first-year volunteer at the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department, was accused of dousing the only stairwell in a two-story North Lawrence building with gasoline, setting a fire and heading to the firehouse. Morena Vanegas, 46, her 19-year-old son, Saul Preza, and daughters Andrea and Susanna Vanegas, 13 and 9, respectively, died in the blaze.
Police said Lacey, the son of Reverend Richard Lacey of the Outreach Church of God in Christ, had hoped to respond to the scene and save those inside the building, which detectives on the case referred to as a �hero complex.� The teen was arrested on arson and murder charges on March 20.
Judge Jerald Carter denied the defense�s appeal to set bail at $200,000. Bail was set at $500,000 cash and $3.5 million bond.
�We're confident the evidence will speak for itself,� said Prosecutor Michael Canty, who refused to give further details of the case.
Lacey�s attorney, Christopher Cassar, said that the evidence in the case was slim and that he would attack Lacey�s supposed confession to the crime in court, which Cassar claims was not in Lacey's writing. �He did not participate in the setting of the fire or murder in any way,� Cassar said. �He is completely innocent. The police decided this young man is the suspect, then they built the case around that.� He added that the defense will explore other suspects.
Members of the Lacey and Vanegas families refused to comment.
Lacey is due back in court on June 10.
