Patrick Magargee Accused Of Setting Fire At Mercer County Trailer Home
POSTED: 10:26 am EST March 3, 2010
UPDATED: 7:35 pm EST March 3, 2010
MERCER, Pa. -- Police said a Mercer County man set a fire in his mobile home intending to commit suicide, but changed his mind and drove to a McDonald's restaurant for breakfast instead.
Patrick Magargee, 26, of Lackawannock Township, was taken to the county jail on charges of arson and criminal mischief after the Feb. 14 fire. He is still in custody.
"It was a very, very visible -- I'll use the word 'classic' -- fire set," Hermitage Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Robert Goeltz said.
Magargee started a fire in the living room, then tried to douse it with water, according to his mother, Kim Bollinger. She allowed Channel 4 Action News reporter Shannon Perrine to come inside and see the damage.
Slideshow - Photos Of The Fire Scene "He put gas and kerosene all over the place and lit a roll of paper towels and threw it in the room," Bollinger said.
"Trying to kill himself?" Perrine asked.
"Yeah," Bollinger said.
When Magargee couldn't extinguish the fire, he went out for food and tried to find his stepbrother so they could play video games, but he didn't call 911 to report the flames, police said.
"I don't understand that, because I just live on Lot 8 and he never even stopped at my house," Bollinger said.
A neighbor called 911 to report the fire, and investigators were able to determine that it was a case of arson.
"We found what we call liquid pour patterns throughout the entire interior of the mobile home -- very visible -- and the containers and other items were also found in there, other evidence," Goeltz said.
Magargee waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Monday and is awaiting trial.
"I wish he was home, and we could help and work on it," Bollinger said, crying.
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