Sept. 29--SHAMOKIN -- A 24-year-old Shamokin man has been charged with intentionally setting four separate fires inside a vacant house at 224 W. Arch St. on Aug. 12 in an alleged attempt to cover up his theft of wiring from the property.
A city firefighter broke his leg attempting to extinguish the fire.
A criminal complaint was approved and signed Friday afternoon by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III that charges Marc Benjamin Jr., of 119 W. Montgomery St., with felonies of arson endangering persons, arson endangering a building, aggravated assault involving a firefighter, burglary, arson of an unoccupied building, criminal trespass and risking a catastrophe.
The charges filed by Shamokin Patrolman and Fire Investigator Raymond Siko II accuse Benjamin of intentionally setting four separate fires shortly after 11:30 p.m. after removing wiring from the home the same day and a previous date.
'I did it'
According to an affidavit of probable cause, police determined Benjamin was a suspect in the arson. During a Sept. 17 interview with Siko that Benjamin agreed to conduct, the defendant became very nervous and began sweating excessively when questioned about his involvement in the fire, the affidavit shows.
Police said Benjamin then a took deep breath and, with eyes filled with tears, told Siko, "I did it," before pausing and telling the officer that he was by himself both times when the crimes occurred.
Benjamin said several days before the fire he entered the home, using a side door, and removed wire.
The complaint states Benjamin then walked on Market Street before entering a wooded area behind Montgomery Street near a set of railroad tracks. Benjamin said he started a fire in the woods to melt the wire he had stolen to get the copper off it. The defendant said the next day he took the copper to Jeff's Recycling along Snydertown Road and cashed it in for approximately $30.
Benjamin said he entered the Arch Street house again on Aug. 12 and began removing more wire from the basement. But Benjamin said he began to panic and thought he was going to get caught. He spotted some newspapers, placed them in the rafters and used a lighter to light them.
Benjamin told police he was scared and thought setting the building on fire would prevent him from getting arrested for the wire theft.
He recalled setting fires near a fuse box in the basement, inside another room near a wall and in the back of the home in the basement.
Wife irate
After leaving the house, Benjamin said he went home and told his wife, Brandi, what he had done. Benjamin said his wife became irate and began screaming at him before ordering him to leave the home.
Siko interviewed Brandi Benjamin, who said her husband returned home about 11:30 p.m. that night and told her he was in a home "scrapping," got scared and set the building on fire. She said her husband didn't have any gloves and thought his fingerprints would be found.
Police said the owner of 224 W. Arch St. is Cynthia Romig, of Selinsgrove, who is not insured. Police said the property is valued at $30,000, but they do not have a damage estimate from the fire.
Gary Kays, a member of Shamokin Rescue Squad 60, fractured his leg while attempting to extinguish the fire, Siko said.
Emergency responders were called to the blaze at 11:35 p.m. after a bartender at Independence Fire Company noticed smoke coming from the eaves and chimney.
Shamokin Fire Bureau Battalion Chief Jason Zimmerman said there was smoke in the structure, but flames were limited to the common basement of the home.
The fire was extinguished in five minutes.
Copyright 2012 - The News-Item, Shamokin, Pa.
