The man who allegedly set fire to the mansion of Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., and his family turned himself in, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Fox News.
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, was first identified to police by an ex-lover after he allegedly confessed to her and “wanted her to call police to turn him in,” the complaint said. It was only a short time later that Balmer turned himself in outside Pennsylvania State Police headquarters, police said.
While being interviewed by troopers, “Balmer admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro.” Balmer allegedly told investigators “he removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken bottles he found at his residence.”
Balmer allegedly said he walked an hour to the governor’s mansion “with the intention of throwing his homemade Molotov cocktails into the residence.”
Troopers say Balmer admitted to scaling a perimeter fence, breaking two windows with a hammer and throwing Molotov cocktails inside. The arson suspect allegedly admitted he was aware it was a possibility that Shapiro and others were home at the time and “it was a possibility that people could be injured by his actions.”
Had Balmer come face-to-face with Shapiro, he allegedly said, “he would have beaten him with his hammer.” Following the interview, Balmer was taken to Dauphin County Prison for arraignment.
Police say the arson suspect was caught on security cameras both in and outside the mansion “wearing a black ‘Snap-On’ jacket, black boots and carrying a bag.” Troopers say they found the jacket, bag “and a small sledge hammer” at Balmer’s home.
The fire broke out around 2 a.m. Sunday after Shapiro, considered a potential presidential contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, and his family celebrated the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
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“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society,” the politician said. “And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not okay and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
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