Police: PA firefighter set homes on fire because he was bored
Security cameras show Munhall volunteer walking into homes before fires
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A Munhall volunteer firefighter is accused of starting fires at two homes out of boredom.
Munhall police charged Ryan Laubham, 19, of Lawrence Avenue with arson and related crimes after a fire broke out at a home in the 100 block of Crawford Avenue shortly before 3 a.m. on Monday, according to court documents. Police arrested him for setting fire to a pair of occupied homes after investigators reviewed video surveillance cameras in the borough.
When investigators confronted Laubham, he told them that he started the fires because he was bored, according to a criminal complaint filed in support of the charges.
Police say Ryan Laubham set one of the fires on Dec. 10 using gasoline and a second fire on Dec. 3 using paper towels. Both fires happened on Crawford Avenue. Laubham has since had his court arraignment and a bond set at $200,000.
“We have the public’s trust, and this is something that hurts that; not just for us, but for all volunteers,” said Munhall Fire Chief Ed Pletsch.
Pletsch is waiting for the legal process to come to its conclusion of what happened, but says this is impacting his whole department.
“It’s a first for us here at this station,” said Pletsch. “It’s never happened to us before, and hopefully we never go through this again.”
BREAKING: Munhall Bureau Fire Chief says volunteer fire fighter Ryan Laubham is off active duty as the court process continues after Laubham was accused of 2 arson fires.
Laubham has been a part of the fire department since April 2017.@WTAE pic.twitter.com/5jpIGhScum
— Chris Lovingood WRAL (@LovingoodTV) December 12, 2018
UPDATE: This is a photo of a house set on fire last week on Crawford Avenue. Investigators say Munhall volunteer firefighter Ryan Laubham admitted to setting this house on fire and another home on fire this past Monday on the same street. pic.twitter.com/W56IQbIlTB
— Chris Lovingood WRAL (@LovingoodTV) December 12, 2018
