‘We Finally Got Them:’ New Castle, ATF Break Arson Cases

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Six young adults and two juveniles were taken into custody Tuesday in New Castle, a city that has seen dozens of confirmed arsons in vacant structures since early 2008.

“We got ‘em. That’s just — we finally got them,” Fire Chief Thomas Maciarello said during a news conference at the New Castle municipal building.Suspects were identified as:

• Ruben James Suarez, 23, accused in connection with fires at nine properties
• Steven Sheridan, 22, accused in connection with fires at seven properties
• Mark A. Quear, 20, accused in connection with fires at five properties
• Stephen Threats, 20, accused in connection with fires at four properties
• Rachelle Marie Lombardo, 24, accused in connection with fires at four properties (in custody at county jail)
• Darrell Rice Jr., 20
• A male juvenile, accused in connection with one fire
• A male juvenile, accused in connection with one fire

New Castle has had a total of more than 100 fires in vacant structures since early 2008, including 34 since mid-2007 in the city’s lower east side alone.”A big break came when a resident called us one evening that she heard glass breaking in on one of the lower east side neighborhoods,” police Chief Thomas Sansone said.The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives became involved in the investigation about six weeks ago and played a role with New Castle authorities in breaking the case.

“They partnered very well with New Castle police, teamed up with their lead detective and conducted scores of interviews, analyzed the evidence and were integral in helping to obtain confessions from some of these folks,” said Jim Tanda, supervisor of the ATF’s Pittsburgh office.While no serious injuries were ever reported, the city has been forced to pay overtime to firefighters and spend money to demolish some of the damaged buildings.”You know, you have one or two arsonists, but to have eight, it really taxes the police department, the fire department, the ATF helping us,” Sansone said.Police don’t have a motive, though they said copper pipes were removed from buildings in some cases. Sansone said the suspects all knew each other but worked in groups of two or three.New Castle officials have established an arson tip line. Anyone with information about any fires is asked to call 724-656-3067.”Hopefully, we can rest a little easier now, but our job isn’t completed. Just as I said, what we need is the public’s help,” Sansone said.

Story by thepittsburghchannel.com

Fire Rescue Headlines: Arson, Mountain Bike Accident, Army Bus MVA

Here are your Western PA firefighting and rescue headlines for Monday, August 24th, 2009.

• An army bus being driven to New Castle for repairs crashed into a truck carrying a crane on Route 422 in Slippery Rock Twp this morning.  The driver of the bus and a lone passenger were transported for non life threatening injuries.  The crane truck driver was uninjured. [WPXI]

• A man from Maine died in a mountain biking accident yesterday in Brighton Twp, Beaver county. [WPXI]

• Yet another suspicious fire in New Castle.  This time, the house that was picked was one that was already set on fire earlier this month. [WPXI]

• And finally, a woman was arrested for torching a house in Commodore, Indiana county after having a fight with her boyfriend. [WPXI]

Fire Rescue Headlines: Vacant House Fire, MVAs, Boot Drive

Here are your Friday August 7th, 2009 western PA firefighting headlines.

• A 16 year old girl on a bicycle collided with a van last night in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. [WTAE]

• Yet another vacant home burned last night in New Castle.  Per WTAE, over the last 18 months there have been more than 50 cases of arson there.  Thankfully, again last night no one was injured. [WTAE]

• Latrobe volunteer firefighters to raise money at Steeler’s practice. [Tribune-Review]

• Crews responded to an accident due to brake failure in North Warren yesterday. [Times-Observer]

Fire Rescue Headlines: More Arson, RC Truck Causes Fire, Dog & Chief Reunited

Looks like the arsonists are back at it again.  Here are your western Pa firefighting headlines for July 21st, 2009.

• Investigators are investigating a fire that was deliberately set in Jenner Township, Somerset county.  The fire was set last week as an attempted cover up to a hide a person that was beaten. [WTAE]

• New Castle had yet another fire last night, again under investigation. [WTAE]

• Here is one you don’t hear every day, a remote control monster truck caught on fire in a home in Greensburg, and caused about $10,000 worth of damage.  [WPXI]

• A tractor-trailer jack-knived on the Parkway East overnight. [WTAE]

• Finally, Eastern Derry Fire Chief Derrick Bollinger was among a crew of firefighters taking some rescued dogs to the local humane society when he discovered his dalmation, Halligan, who he had to give up 5 years ago, was a current resident.  There is no word if they are going to adopt him for a department mascot. [WPXI]

Fire Headlines: Waterfall Rescue, FF Burglary Trial, Arson, Barn Fire

Sorry for the lack of updates, I was actually out of town for a few days and due to security reasons I really didn’t want to publish that info and come back to an empty house. So, lets get back into the swing of things and get you caught up with all the local western PA firefighting news for Monday, July 20th, 2009.

• Crazy story out of Lawrence County yesterday in McConnell’s Mill State Park.  A team from US Search and Rescue Corps were performing training when they heard cries for help.  Turns out, a person slipped and fell over a waterfall and fell 25 feet.  He was rescued and flown to a Pittsburgh area hospital. [WTAE]

• Vincent Manzella, the Pittsburgh firefighter accused of calling in false alarms and then stealing from the station, is going to stand trial on burglary charges. [Tribune-Review]

• The Trib wrote an article related to the arson problems that won’t go away in some Pittsburgh area communities. [Tribune-Review]

• And finally, garage fire spread to an adjacent barn and caught fire up in Mill Village. [WICU12]

Fire Headlines – Fatal Motorcyle MVA, False Alarm Fines, More Arson, House & Apartment Fires

Here is a look at your western Pennsylvania fire headlines for June 17th, 2009

• Sandy Creek Twp in Mercer County was the scene of a double fatal accident where per police a vehicle crossed the center line and hit two motorcycles.  Both drivers of the motorcycles did not survive. [WTAE]

• There were house fires in South Park and New Brighton yesterday morning. [WTAE]

• I-70 was shutdown so that crews could clean up a tractor-trailer versus car accident in Belle Vernon. [WTAE]

• Crews in New Castle cut a person free from an accident on Butler Avenue. [WTAE]

• The Sheraden section of Pittsburgh appears to have an arsonist on the loose.  Another house was destroyed yesterday. [WTAE]

• Good job by New Beaver Borough’s Fire Chief for saving a family and their dogs this morning.  Unfortunately WPXI doesn’t have his name listed.  Hopefully they’ll update the story. [WPXI]

• Eleven people were forced out of their North Side apartment building in Pittsburgh last night due to fire. [WPXI]

• Cook Twp in Westmoreland County had 2 fires ruled as arson. [Tribune-Review]

• Leechburg is considering a fine on the 3rd false fire alarm response.  A step in the right direction that I’m surprised more departments/boroughs don’t do.  [Valley News Dispatch]

Arsonist hits five New Castle houses

Officials are investigating a series of fires that struck five vacant houses in New Castle early this morning.

No one was hurt and no buildings were destroyed. State police are treating the fires as suspected arson, New Castle Fire Chief Tom Maciarello said.

The first call came in around 2:37 a.m., and then new fires struck quickly in a four-block area on the city’s lower east side.

“There was one right after the other,” Chief Maciarello said.

Here’s a link the the Original Article PittsburghPostGazette.Com