A Pennsylvania man is sitting behind bars after police say he deliberately set a house on fire when a woman rejected his romantic advances — triggering a horrifying blaze that killed one resident and left others desperately jumping from second-story windows to survive.
Authorities say 40-year-old Robert Zimmerman was arrested this week in connection to the deadly fire that tore through a home on Bratton Avenue in Lewistown Borough late Wednesday night.
Firefighters rushed to the scene around 11:55 p.m. after reports of a massive blaze engulfing the residence. Several people were reportedly living inside the home, which had been sublet to multiple tenants, including 44-year-old Brandy Phillippe.
Phillippe did not survive.
According to the Mifflin County Coroner’s Office, she tried to escape the flames but became trapped before she could make it out alive.
“Preliminary investigation has determined Ms. Phillippe attempted to flee the residence during the fire but was unable to escape,” officials said.
As flames exploded through the house, terrified residents scrambled for survival. One man reportedly suffered severe facial injuries and internal burns after jumping from a second-floor window. Another woman was injured after falling to the sidewalk while hanging from an upstairs window waiting for help.
Neighbors described chaotic scenes as thick flames burst from the home.
“I could see orange flames coming out the kitchen window. And they were really high,” one witness told local outlet WGAL. “A few minutes later I heard someone yell, ‘Jump! Jump!’”
The neighbor also said several cats living near the property were killed in the fire.
Investigators quickly began treating the blaze as suspicious after witnesses claimed Zimmerman had been seen at the home moments before the fire erupted.
According to police, Zimmerman had allegedly confessed his feelings to a woman living at the residence but became distraught after she rejected him.
Investigators now believe he intentionally set several items on fire inside the first floor of the home before leaving the area and allegedly watching the inferno from a nearby alleyway.
Witnesses told police Zimmerman later admitted to starting the fire, and authorities said surveillance footage backed up those claims.
Police eventually tracked Zimmerman down at a boarding house on East Third Street. Officers said he smelled strongly of smoke and ash when they found him. During the arrest, he reportedly appeared to be suffering from an overdose and was transported to a nearby hospital before later being questioned by investigators.
According to police, Zimmerman claimed he could not remember exactly how the fire started but was able to discuss events before and after the blaze.
When investigators informed him that a woman had died in the fire, police said he showed a “strong emotional response.”
Formal charges are expected to be filed soon as investigators continue piecing together the deadly chain of events that turned a rejection into a fatal tragedy.
Pennsylvania??
The Fire Department was no doubt volunteers!!