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Pennsylvania News Briefs

<b>First Posted:</b> 1/26/2008<br><br>SHERRY LONG 
 
 slong@www.timesleader.com


The owner of an apartment building where two children and an adult died during a fire early Thursday was fined Friday by the City of Wilkes-Barre for failure to comply with the city&amp;rsquo;s rental ordinance requirements. 
John Sobek,  owner of the six-unit building at 522 S. Franklin St., was fined $500 for each apartment for a total of $3,000. Sobek failed to have the property inspected before the tenants moved into the building, city spokeswoman Bridget Giunta said. 
&amp;ldquo;Those six units were never inspected since the passage of the city rental ordinance was enacted in March 2005,&amp;rdquo; she said.
The fire victims were identified as Victor Van Pelt, 26; his daughter, Alia Van Pelt, 3; and Alia&amp;rsquo;s brother, Angel Torres, 5.
 Mayor Tom Leighton said in a prepared press release that the rental ordinance was established to ensure tenants&amp;rsquo; safety and that it is the responsibility of each property owner to schedule the inspections. 
The fine was sent through certified mail on Friday. Sobek has 10 days to respond. If the fine is not paid within that time frame, the case will be referred to the local magistrate where Sobek could lose the ability to obtain future permits through the city, Giunta said. 
Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Inspector William Sharknas said the accidental blaze started near a gas heater located in the second-floor apartment. 
Five of the six apartments were occupied and many tenants were displaced. 
Fire Victims Fund

A fund has been set up to assist the Torres and Van Pelt families at:
Wilkes-Barre Postal Federal 
Credit Union
566 S. Main St. 
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701. 
Anyone needing more information may call the bank at 570-823-6151.

Owner of fatal-fire apartment fined