Convict Set Himself On Fire In PA Courtroom, Police Say Convict Set Himself On Fire In PA Courtroom, Police Say
Convict Set Himself On Fire In PA Courtroom, Police Say A 38-year-old man being arraigned for a misdemeanor charge set himself on fire in the courtroom when he learned he was going to be held in the County Prison for a probation violation, police explained in a release on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Stanley Tord Walden, of Willow Street, was at Magisterial District Judge William Benner's office for the arraignment on the terroristic threats charge with his family when he learned his probation officer had issued a detainer and he would be heading to Lancaster County Prison on Tuesday 21 March 2023, according to the release by West Lampeter Township …
Police ID Pair Plaguing PA Neighborhood With Explosions For Weeks, Police Say Police ID Pair Plaguing PA Neighborhood With Explosions For Weeks, Police Say
Police ID Pair Plaguing PA Neighborhood With Explosions For Weeks, Police Say Authorities in Northampton County say they have identified the pair responsible for a series of explosions in the area.  Slate Belt Regional police were called to East Laurel Avenue in Pen Argyl at 3 a.m. on Saturday, March 18 after residents reported hearing a large explosion, the department said in a release.  Authorities noted that they had received "numerous" similar complaints in the neighborhood "beginning several months earlier."  No suspects were in the area by the time officers arrived, so detectives returned the next day to conduct a follow-up investigation, police…
Welder Sets Former Employer's Cars On Fire Twice In One Day, Police In LanCo. Say Welder Sets Former Employer's Cars On Fire Twice In One Day, Police In LanCo. Say
Welder Sets Former Employer's Cars On Fire Twice In One Day, Police In LanCo. Say A welder who lost his job apparently wanted his former employee to feel the fire of the fury he was going through, literally— igniting multiple cars on fire, puncturing over 25 tires, and causing property damage to the Lancaster County business, authorities say.  The ex-employee, 36-year-old John Derek Hays, 36, of Akron, lost his job at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing & Heating in East Hempfield Township on Monday, March 6, 2023, according to East Hempfield Township Police. In total, 10 vehicles had the tires and two of the vehicles were completely destroyed by the fires at&n…
Arson At Shippensburg Sheetz, Police Say Arson At Shippensburg Sheetz, Police Say
Arson At Shippensburg Sheetz, Police Say A man set a Sheetz in Shippensburg on fire during a burglary on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, authorities say.  James Allen Duncan, 30, of Shippensburg, went to the closed Sheetz at 15 North Washington Street and kicked in a side door to enter around 5 p.m. on March 7, 2023, area police stated in a release the following day.  Smoke was seen billowing from the building between 10 to 15 minutes after Duncan left it, according to the police. "When the Fire Department arrived they observed Duncan walking East on Martin Ave. toward the Sheetz. Officers came into contact with Duncan at…
Two Rooms Burned In Arsonist's Blaze At Carlisle Motel: Police Two Rooms Burned In Arsonist's Blaze At Carlisle Motel: Police
Two Rooms Burned In Arsonist's Blaze At Carlisle Motel: Police A Carlisle motel was set on fire on Thursday, March 2, 2023, Middlesex Township police stated in a release the following day.  Roy Sampson, 57, of Carlise, was in a vacant room trying to start a fire when the police were called to the Diamond Carlisle Motel located at 1245 Harrisburg Pike, according to the release.  Upon arrival, officers found two vacant rooms "actively on fire." "Officers would speak to a witness and soon after would locate the suspect, Roy Sampson walking through the parking lot of the motel," as stated in the release.  Sampson was arrested at 12:48 p.m…
UPDATE: Admitted Hit Man From Philly Gets 20 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico UPDATE: Admitted Hit Man From Philly Gets 20 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico
Update: Admitted Hit Man From Philly Gets 20 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico A currently incarcerated career criminal from Philadelphia was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the contract killing of a veteran campaign consultant in New Jersey. Bomani Africa, 62, previously admitted accepting payment from former political operative Sean Caddle to whack former associate Michael Galdieri. Galdieri, the 52-year-old son of former State Sen. James Galdieri (D-Jersey City), was stabbed to death in his Jersey City apartment, which was then set on fire, in May 2014. The killing had publicly remained a cold case until January 2022, when Caddle pleaded guilty in U.S…
Life In Prison For PA Arsonist Who Killed Man Clinging To His Own Vehicle Life In Prison For PA Arsonist Who Killed Man Clinging To His Own Vehicle
Life In Prison For PA Arsonist Who Killed Man Clinging To His Own Vehicle A convicted arsonist and killer in Lancaster County will spend the rest of his days in prison for a crime spree that ended with a man's death three years ago, a judge has ruled.  Javen T. Jackson, 24, was sentenced to life plus four-to-10 years at a hearing on Dec. 20, said county District Attorney Heather Adams in a statement.  At his trial in October, prosecutors said Jackson set fire to a New Holland apartment building on Nov. 10, 2019. Jurors heard from building residents who described waking up to find their apartments filled with smoke and rushing to safety with their young …
Dating Profile Helped Police ID Arsonist Who Endangered Children In Central Pennsylvania: DA Dating Profile Helped Police ID Arsonist Who Endangered Children In Central Pennsylvania: DA
Dating Profile Helped Police ID Arsonist Who Endangered Children In Central Pennsylvania: DA A former convict has confessed to starting multiple fires, endangering 11 lives in central Pennsylvania, according to the Lancaster County district attorney's office. Alvin Frank Chambers III, 31, of Maytown, entered an open guilty plea to two first-degree felony counts of arson of an inhabited building or structure and related charges in Lancaster County Court on September 2, 2022, according to a release by the DA on Thursday, Nov. 17. Emergency crews were called to the first fire “burning in a yard that was beginning to ignite the exterior of a home” in the 500 block of Poplar Street on J…
Arsonist At-Large Following Break-In At Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Pennsylvania State Police Arsonist At-Large Following Break-In At Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Pennsylvania State Police
Arsonist At-Large Following Break-In At Enterprise Rent-a-car: Pennsylvania State Police A cash reward is being offered for an arsonist who started a fire at an Enterprise Rent-A-Car, authorities say.  Pennsylvania state police were called to the vehicle fire at 791 York Road, Straban Township on Nov. 12 at 11 p.m. according to multiple releases on Nov. 16.  The state police fire marshal determine "that the fire was intentionally set," as stated in the release by Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers.  The man pictured came onto the business's parking lot and broke into a black box van through the passenger side door and then "lit the passenger seat of the van on fir…
PA Man Sets House On Fire With Police Inside: Report PA Man Sets House On Fire With Police Inside: Report
PA Man Sets House On Fire With Police Inside: Report A Pennsylvania man is police custody after authorities say he set his house on fire while state troopers were inside, according to a report from CBS 21. John Andrew Young, 59, of Montour County, is charged with three counts of attempted murder, making terroristic threats, and related offenses, state court records show.  Troopers were dispatched to a home on R & H Avenue in Liberty Township at around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2 for a reported domestic disturbance, the outlet wrote.  When officers were inside, investigators say Young retreated to a back room and started a fire …
Arson, DUI Homicide Charges Filed Against Man Who Killed PA Dad Of Six Along Route 147: Police Arson, DUI Homicide Charges Filed Against Man Who Killed PA Dad Of Six Along Route 147: Police
Arson, DUI Homicide Charges Filed Against Man Who Killed PA Dad Of Six Along Route 147: Police A man with 6 active criminal cases has been arrested for two more crimes, one of which involves the death of a father of six, authorities say.Rindy Lee Martin, 44, of Elizabethville, already had been charged with false calls to 911 and drug possession when he was charged in connection with arson on Oct. 9 in his hometown, and arrested on Oct. 11, court records show.  But since his arson arrest, Martin has been slapped with 10 charges in connection with a crash that killed Stephen J. Gimmi, 43, of Halifax, on Mar. 16, 2022, authorities say.  The crash happened when Martin's 20…
PA Inmate Threatens To Blow Up Allentown Parole Building: Report PA Inmate Threatens To Blow Up Allentown Parole Building: Report
PA Inmate Threatens To Blow Up Allentown Parole Building: Report A 65-year-old man jailed on arson offenses will be facing a new charge for threatening to blow up a parole building in Lehigh County, Fox56 reports. Timothy Koebert, an inmate at SCI Dallas in Luzerne County, threatened to bomb the Allentown parole office and put people in body bags in a series of letters, the outlet says citing Pennsylvania State Police. He also allegedly threatened to light an Allentown Walmart store on fire. Koebert, who's scheduled to be released in October, was charged with terroristic threats, according to the outlet. Click here for more from Fox56.