Sean McDermott: Man sets fire to his home and three others ‘to kill the spiders’
A man who allegedly set multiple fires within his home in a bid to kill spiders is on the run after his house burnt down and three others connected to it were damaged.
A man allegedly set multiple fires within his home in a bid to kill spiders is on the run after his house burnt down and three others connected to it were damaged.
Sean McDermott, 36, is wanted on multiple charges after a number of fires were ignited at his Pocono Pines townhouse in Pennsylvania throughout the day on February 23.
Emergency services were called about 6pm, with firefighters battling for eight hours in difficult conditions that included high winds, icy conditions, and frigid temperatures to extinguish the blaze.
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One witness told police that Mr McDermott had a smouldering fire going in the floor of his home and then put a loveseat on top of the blaze.
“McDermott stated that he needed to kill the spiders within the residence,” Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department Chief Chris Wagner said.
Spiders commonly found in the area include wolf spiders, daddy longlegs, yellow garden spiders and black widows.
It is not known what kind of spiders Mr McDermott was trying to kill.
The witness told police they kept putting out the fires but Mr McDermott would allegedly keep relighting them. The pair left the home but returned to find it fully ablaze.
Mr McDermott then allegedly fled in a U-Haul truck and has not been seen since.
He is wanted on charges of arson, aggravated arson, causing or risking a catastrophe, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person.
