US EditionFugitive Wanted for Arson Arrested in NYC with Truck Full of Laughing Gas, Police Sources Say
Sean McDermott, 36, fled Pennsylvania after setting multiple fires to kill spiders and was caught in New York with 52 laughing gas canisters, prompting a bomb squad response.
- On Wednesday, Sean McDermott, 36, was arrested in New York City after abandoning a U-Haul following a hit-and-run and was found near Times Square, police said.
- Authorities say the fires originated from inside McDermott's unit as he tried to 'kill the spiders'; he set his townhome at 616 Uncus Lane ablaze Monday, spreading flames to three neighboring townhomes.
- At East 23rd Street and Madison, the U-Haul contained 52 canisters of nitrous oxide, and the NYPD Bomb Squad reported a liquid accelerant during searches; the NYPD Emergency Service Unit and bomb squad cleared the vehicle as non-hazardous.
- Prosecutors charged McDermott with multiple offenses after his arrest, including resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, while preparing extradition to Pennsylvania for arson-related felonies.
- Authorities had labeled the suspect a fugitive and urged calls to 911 after alerts from Pennsylvania and New Jersey prompted a citywide U-Haul lookout in New York.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Pennsylvania man accused of arson. His motive? He needed to 'kill the spiders within'
A Monroe County, Pennsylvania, man is in custody, accused of arson after allegedly setting his townhome on fire. The flames spread, damaging several nearby residences. When asked why he did it, the man said, “he needed to kill the spiders within,” according to local news outlet WGAL. Police eventually caught up with the man in New York. Pennsylvania police have identified the suspect as Sean McDermott, 36, a resident of Pocono Pines in Monroe Co…
Man wanted for setting fires in his home intentionally set his clothes on fire in N.J. hotel room, authorities say
A man wanted for setting his house on fire while trying kill spiders has been charged with multiple crimes after authorities alleged he intentionally set his clothes on fire in a New Jersey hotel room. Sean P. McDermott, 36, who has recent addresses in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, and East Moriches, New York, is charged with attempted aggravated arson, attempted arson and creating a risk of widespread injury or damage, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s…
Man wanted for setting his house on fire to kill spiders in Pennsylvania is later arrested for hit-and-run in NYC
A man accused of setting multiple fires in his Pennsylvania home in an apparent attempt to kill spiders was subsequently arrested in New York City after fleeing a hit-and-run crash. The events began Monday evening in Pocono Pines, when Pocono Mountain Regional Police responded to flames at…
Poconos man accused of starting fire to ‘kill the spiders’ arrested in New York; incident prompted bomb squad, police say
A Monroe County man wanted for setting a fire that spread to three homes in Pocono Pines was arrested in a New York City incident that prompted a bomb squad response, police say.
Daily Local News
Man accused of starting fire to 'kill the spiders' arrested in New York; incident prompted bomb squad, police say
A Monroe County man wanted for setting fires in a home in an apparent attempt to “kill the spiders within the residence” was arrested Wednesday in an incident that prompted a bomb squad response in New York City, according to authorities. Sean McDermott, 36, of Pocono Pines, was arrested late Wednesday after investigators found a suspicious U-Haul truck at a city intersection, a NYPD spokesperson said Friday. He was arrested a few hours later. P…
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