Arson suspects indicted for Woodbridge fire

Prince William County (Map, News) - Three Woodbridge men were indicted Thursday on charges of torching a pool supply company and a nursery in order to hide their theft from the businesses.

A federal grand jury in Alexandria charged Raymond Potoski Jr., 37, Robert Williams, 33, and Santiago Ravens, 19, with conspiring to commit arson in two huge fires that caused a massive hazardous materials scare in November.

Two of the conspirators may have been former employees at Playtime Pools and Spas at 14304 Jefferson Davis, according to Prince William County police spokeswoman Erika Hernandez. They were arrested after authorities tracked down cashed that supposedly had been lost in the fire, according to court documents.

Ravens, Williams, and Potoski, all of 13446 Greenacre Drive, were being held without bond and have been scheduled to appear in court on April 15.

Authorities said the three men broke into Playtime Pools and the Meadows Farm Nursery, just two blocks away. The fires occurred within an hour of each other.

The conspirators took an unknown amount of cash and checks from both buildings before the men set the places ablaze, court documents said.

Authorities immediately suspected arson after two officers responding to the fire alarm at the nursery discovered that a door had been left open, authorities said.

Within two weeks, Williams cashed two checks forged by Potoski, according to court documents.

The pool supply building was demolished and the owners plan to open a temporary store on Route 1 in April, according to the company website. The owners could not be reached Friday.

Firefighters from at least four municipalities counties were called to contain the dangerous scene. Fire marshals estimated the damage to be about $1 million.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com