A New Hampshire man whose own home was engulfed in flames allegedly stole a rescue truck from the firefighters battling that blaze, nearly killed three of them, and crashed the vehicle several miles away before trying to steal items from a stranger's porch. When the social contract snaps, this is what it looks like on the ground.
Nestor Roman II, 30, of Dalton, didn't just bite the hand feeding him — he tried to run it over. According to New Hampshire State Police, troopers arrived around 3:50 a.m. Tuesday to assist Dalton Fire & Rescue at a fully involved structure fire near Faraway Road and Mountain Road. Multiple neighboring departments had responded as mutual aid. While those crews fought to save Roman's property, Roman allegedly hopped into Whitefield Fire & Rescue's F550 rescue truck and drove off shortly before 5 a.m.
Dalton Fire & Rescue said Roman drove around Whitefield's E3 fire engine, nearly striking two firefighters and narrowly missing a third who could have been pinned between the two trucks. He then crashed into the E3 and a small pickup while "forcing their way onto the road ahead," according to the department. State police said Roman drove over multiple water supply lines while fleeing — two charged hoses actively being used to fight the fire, though they survived intact.
The rampage continued down the road. Roman allegedly struck a firefighter's personal vehicle and damaged wooden fences at two separate properties, according to fire officials and state police.
The stolen rescue truck finally crashed on another Dalton homeowner's property several miles away. That homeowner reported Roman was attempting to take items from the porch. Troopers arrived and found Roman on the porch, uncooperative, before taking him into custody.
Roman now faces three felony counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, burglary, and two counts of theft by unauthorized taking. He also faces a stack of misdemeanors: obstructing government administration, four counts of conduct after an accident, resisting arrest and detention, driving after suspension subsequent, and two counts of driving over a fire hose without consent.
Both the New York Post and Fox News reported the same core facts with nearly identical language. Neither outlet explored Roman's prior record or what might have motivated the bizarre sequence — details that would tell the public whether this is a one-off crisis or part of a pattern.
Despite significant damage, Whitefield's E3 stayed operational and firefighters ultimately extinguished the flames. The house was a "complete loss." The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
Dalton Fire & Rescue said in a statement: "We are extremely thankful that no firefighters were physically injured despite the close call."
The question left hanging: what happens to a community when a man's first instinct, as his own house burns, is to steal from the people trying to save it — and then rob the neighbor down the road?
