Avella man arrested for allegedly setting fire to truck
An Avella man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly setting fire to a pickup truck that broke down along an Independence Township road in September.
Randy Ray Coen, 18, of 79 First St., is accused of setting fire to a Ford F150 pickup truck parked at Meadowcroft Road and Martin Avenue Sept. 11. A 17-year-old Washington boy also faces charges in a juvenile allegation.
State police were called after the damage to the truck was discovered.
Trooper Craig Soltis, the state police fire marshal, examined the truck after it was towed to a storage area. He indicated in court records the windshield of the truck was intact and lying on top of debris that indicated the fire started inside the passenger compartment. The engine was damaged and it appeared most of the damage was in the area of the firewall, which eventually burned the cab.
The owner of the truck, Christopher Paul Courser, said he parked it Sept. 4 after experiencing problems with the electrical system.
Police later received information that Coen was involved in the fire. Coen reportedly told police he burned the truck because he thought it would be fun. He claimed to have used a lighter under the dashboard to ignite it. He also told police that the teen was with him.
Coen was arraigned before District Judge Ethan Ward on two counts of arson, conspiracy, criminal mischief and corruption of minors. He was placed in Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. A preliminary hearing will be held before Ward on March 1.