A man faces arson charges after he set his hosts’ home on fire while they slept, wandering away into the night while his friend risked his life looking for him in the burning home.
William Frances Schwab, 62, has been charged with aggravated arson after he allegedly admitted to authorities he set the home of Scott Bell and Kimberly Hennessee on fire while they slept and then walked away.
“He said he was mad at them because they were taking advantage of him financially,” said sheriff’s investigator Kevin Murphy of Schwab’s statement following the fire this Sunday night on Guthrie Road in Dibrell.
The trailer at 191 Guthrie Road was heavily damaged by the blaze set at the hand of Schwab, who had been living with them at the address. The North Warren Fire Department was summoned to the scene late Sunday evening and told there was someone trapped inside. They were unable to find any trace of Schwab, who Bell had tried to find inside the blaze.
“Scott Bell went back into the house to look for William Schwab and received a burn to his back,” said Murphy, noting Bell didn’t know at that time Schwab had left the house. He also didn’t realize at that point it was Schwab who had torched his home and left them to burn as they slept. Bell declined medical attention for his burn.
Schwab is charged with a Class A felony, meaning he faces 15 to 25 years in prison if he is convicted. The charge was upped to “aggravated” because Scott was burned during the intentionally set blaze and there were people inside the house at the time of the arson.