Police charged Domenic Pampena, 19, of Holiday Park Drive, Plum, with theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief, among other charges.
Police arrested Pampena at 4:20 a.m. at a car wash on Harrison City-Export Road in Harrison City, where they say he and Jason Murawski, 19, of Murrysville, broke into a change machine. Murawski escaped. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest.
The incident was sparked nearly five hours earlier when fellow firefighters at Holiday Park Volunteer Fire Company confronted Pampena about a broken vending machine at the fire station, police said.
Pampena became angry, throwing aside his keys after being escorted from the building, said Jim Reynolds, 28, captain of the Holiday Park Fire Department.
Pampena then drove a mile west on Route 286 to Carwash Country, where he and another man broke into a vending machine using a Halligan bar, police said. Firefighters use the bar to pry open doors, locks and windows. Plum police used surveillance videotape from the car wash to track down Pampena.
Pampena returned to the station about 2 a.m., rammed his car into the garage doors, then entered the building wielding the Halligan bar, authorities said. Pampena smashed the bar into a service vehicle, leaving holes and dents, authorities said.
Pampena pointed to the confrontation with his fellow volunteers when questioned about the incidents, Plum Police Chief Robert Payne said.
"He said he got extremely angry, and he had trouble controlling his anger," Payne said.
Holiday Park firefighters were stunned.
"Dom was one of the ones we thought would be a benefit to the department," said Reynolds, who recruited Pampena as a junior firefighter. "We lose so many juniors. But he stuck around."
"It's a sad situation," Reynolds said.
Penn Township District Justice Helen Kistler arraigned Pampena on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, conspiracy, possession of instruments of crime and loitering and prowling at night. He was released on bond.
