Articles on Robin Hood Lakes Fire

1/5/2006
From www.poconorecord.com


Boy, 12, accused of arson-murderCharged as an adult in death of his cousin, 11, in Robin Hood Lakes
Catherine RodriguezBy Susan KoomarPocono Record WriterJanuary 05, 2006SNYDERSVILLE — A 12-year-old boy is being held in Monroe County Correctional Facility after being charged as an adult Wednesday in the Polk Township arson fire that killed his 11-year-old cousin.Djinn Oakstar Rayn Buckingham was arraigned before District Judge JoLana Krawitz in Snydersville and charged with one count of criminal homicide, one count of arson and related offenses, six counts of aggravated assault, and six counts of recklessly endangering another person in connection with the fire on Dec. 9 that gutted the house he shared with his mother, aunt, two sisters and three cousins. His cousin, Sierra Caranzza, died in the fire.According to court reports, Buckingham confessed to setting the fire by spilling Tiki Torch fluid on the carpet from the bathroom down the hall past the victim's room and out into the living room, lighting two matches and setting a bedsheet in the living room on fire.continued below

The burned home of Sierra Carranza in Polk Township Wednesday. Police have arrested 12-year-old Dijinn Oakster Rayn Buckingham on charges of criminal homicide and arson in the death of Carranza, who was his cousin. The affidavit goes on to say that Buckingham saw flames erupt and "thought" he had put the fire out and went downstairs until he heard Sierra screaming. He said that he then went back upstairs and saw the fire in the living room involving the carpet and moving down the hallway towards the bathroom. He said that he fled the second floor and alerted the other family members that were in the house.Sierra's body was found on the first floor of the house among debris that collapsed from the second floor. An autopsy performed the day after the fire established the cause of Sierra's death to be severe burns.

A teddy bear and flowers lie outside the home of 11-year-old Sierra Pallina Carranza in Polk Township Wednesday. Police have arrested 12-year-old Dijinn Oakster Rayn Buckingham on charges of criminal homicide and arson in the death of Carranza, who was his cousin. Sierra's mother, Amber Buckingham, moved with her family to the Poconos from Arizona in July 2005. She, her sister Rainbow Buckingham and their combined six children lived in the seven-bedroom house on Lake Drive in the Robin Hood Lakes development near Jonas. Sierra was a fifth-grade honor student at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School.It is not known where the family is living at present, or if Djinn Buckingham has retained an attorney.District Attorney David Christine would not comment for the record.Christine said that the next step in the process is a preliminary hearing, which will be scheduled within the next 10 days. At that time, it is up to the defense attorney to try to move the case to juvenile court.


Neighbors feared something bad would happen sooner or later
Pocono Record News Editor
JONAS — Tragedy was inevitable at 8864 Lake Drive, say angry neighbors. The big brown house was known for trouble.Neighbors say they heard children screaming as if being beaten, saw a parade of unfamiliar cars in and out of the driveway, heard all-night partying and arguing, and saw barefoot kids roaming the dirt roads of Robin Hood Lakes development in rural Polk Township."Once a month there was a cop car there for some disturbance," said Mark Raymond. Raymond and his family live a few yards from the house where Sierra Carranza, 11, died in a fire Dec. 9.Her 12-year-old cousin, Djinn Buckingham, was charged Wednesday with setting the fire.Sierra and Djinn, along with three siblings ages 3 to 15, lived in the house that is now charred and crumbling. Sierra's mother and Djinn's mother are sisters. Neighbors say Monroe County Children and Youth Services had placed the kids in foster care multiple times over the past year."You could always tell when Children and Youth was coming because there'd be 40 garbage bags outside. They'd clean the house," said Donna Raymond.She has one painful memory of seeing Sienna outside barefoot and wearing pajamas at about 6:30 a.m. last summer."She said she was afraid to walk up the road home because there were dogs up there," said Donna Raymond.A chain-link cage that once held two pit bulls still sits outside the destroyed house.Just hours after the fire, Mark Raymond said he saw Djinn throwing snowballs."He was smiling and playing," said Raymond.The Raymonds and another neighbor believe Djinn vandalized their cars by smearing them with ketchup, horseradish, cole slaw and barbecue sauce.Robert Rainier called police at least three times since May because of commotion at the brown house next door."It's a sin what happened over there," said Rainier, who moved to Robin Hood Lakes from Levittown in May.Rainier, seeking country life for his wife and two kids, was shocked to find that Polk Township had no local police force. State police told him they don't have enough troopers to cover their extensive territory in fast-growing Monroe County."They need to get their own police force here," said Rainier. "It bothers me so much that this little girl died. It just eats at me. I'm outraged."Sierra, 11, wanted to play with Rainier's 5-year-old daughter despite their big difference in age."She was the nicest girl, and she walked around so alone," said Rainier's wife, Rhonda.Rainier, a trucker, was on the road the night of the fire, but Rhonda heard screams and saw flames shooting 20 feet above the treeline."The house was totally engulfed in flames. It was like a giant bonfire," she said.To her, the fatal blaze was sad but not shocking."All of us neighbors saw it as a matter of time before something happened. We just didn't think it would be this soon or take a life," she said.