Three charged with arson after fire at former West Roxbury McDonald’s

By Alli Knothe, Globe Correspondent

Three men are facing arson charges connected to a fire at a former McDonald’s restaurant in West Roxbury Friday night.

The fire caused about $100,000 in damage to the vacant building at 1663 VFW Parkway, the Boston Fire Department wrote on its official Twitter feed. No one was injured.

Boston Police said in a statement Saturday morning that investigators followed footprints leading from the back door of the restaurant to the Charles River.

Police officers reported seeing three suspects getting out of the river and found one of them behind the The Olde Irish Alehouse on Bridge Street. Another suspect was found near the scene, and a third “arrived at the scene shortly thereafter,” police said.

All three of the suspects were wearing wet clothing, police reported. They were transported to hospitals for evaluation and were released.

One of the suspects allegedly told police that they had been inside the vacant building and accidentally started the fire.

Police identified the suspects as Denis Florez, 18, of Roslindale, Mark Collins, 18, of West Roxbury, and James McManus, 19, of West Roxbury and charged them each with arson and breaking and entering.

Florez and Collins were arrested and McManus has been summonsed to court, police said.