Hotel fireworks suspect held on bail

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - A Tacoma, Wash., man is facing charges after police say he set off fireworks in his room at a Warwick hotel.

Matthew Parker, 36, faces several charges, including arson. He is being held without bail.

Police said he set off the fireworks in his room at the Comfort Inn in Warwick just after 2 a.m. Sunday, filling the hotel with smoke and forcing about 150 guests to evacuate.

"It caused charring to the ceiling and the wall, the bedspread was burnt, there was debris from the fireworks, hundreds of pieces scattered all over the room. So something obviously got out of hand," said Warwick Police Capt. Sean Collins.

Prosecutors say Parker, a traveling salesman, intentionally lit the fireworks.

"They are ground based fireworks, they are in a tube-type container, clearly however, you can not light them off in a closed hotel room, where there are guests staying throughout the building, a very dangerous situation."

Parker's employee told detectives he bought the Mardi Gras 90-shot fireworks at a North Providence Shaw's. He is being held on $25,000 bail with surety at the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston.

Just last month, possessing these fireworks in Rhode Island was against the law. Now police and prosecutors are working quickly to adapt to the new statute.

"We are a little behind based on this new legislation. I think the whole law enforcement community was taken off guard, but we're gonna catch up quickly."

Last week, Gov. Don Carcieri signed a bill into law allowing the use and sale of some fireworks in Rhode Island.

• RI Fireworks: What's legal, what's not