Man charged in connection with Wilmerding fire that left 17 homeless

WILMERDING, Pa. — Authorities said Wednesday that a fire Monday night at a four-story apartment building in Wilmerding was intentionally set.

FREE APPS | NOW | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

• Woman attacked after 'shushing' teens at movie theater
• White S.C. officer charged with murder in black man's death
• Tacos at your door?! Taco Bell to test delivery
• GALLERY: Longest-running film franchises

Investigators said Jose Gonzales, 25, was caught on surveillance video using a lighter to set fire to the apartment building on Commerce Street, where he was a tenant, causing about $225,000 worth of damage.

“He was cooperative whenever we arrested him, and he was arrested right outside his apartment building here in Wilmerding. I don't think he was surprised,” said Al Hussey, the North Versailles fire marshal.

Hussey said the way in which Gonzales was dressed the night of the fire was what first tipped them off to him.

“I noticed his slippers and his shoes right away because he had them on 45 minutes prior to seeing me,” said Hussey. “So his fashion choice gave him away.”

Authorities said Gonzales hadn’t been living at the building very long before the two-alarm fire that left 17 people homeless and six apartment units destroyed.

Hussey told Channel 11 that Gonzales made a full confession through the use of a Spanish interpreter during a five-hour interrogation.

“He apologized for what he did, said it was a stupid mistake and that he was sorry,” Hussey said.

However, the reason for why he set the building ablaze remains under investigation.

Most of the building’s tenants returned Wednesday, but a significant amount of cleanup still must be done.

WPXI