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Police: Sun blinded driver, caused crash

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Average gas prices for Jan. 11

<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; Investigators allege that Richard Thomas Hart, son of the township&#8217;s fire chief, intentionally started a blaze in a residence on Casey Avenue last month.</p><p>Hart, 18, then allegedly awoke to calls to fight that fire.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint, emergency crews were dispatched to a working residential structure fire at 3:13 a.m. Dec. 21 at 115 Casey Ave. A police officer arrived to find the residence engulfed in flames, and evacuated a neighboring residence due to spreading fire.</p><p>Later that day, state police Fire Marshal Ronald Jarocha conducted an investigation and determined the fire was intentionally set in a storage room in the basement of the residence. Upon further investigation, Hart was named the suspect.</p><p>Hart was interviewed by police Jan. 7, at which time he told police he was at a pool hall with his friends on the night of Dec. 20. He then left to take his girlfriend home, returned to his house on Francis Street and ordered a pizza with a friend.</p><p>Hart then allegedly told investigators he left out the back door of his residence without anyone knowing and went to McDonald&#8217;s for an iced coffee. He arrived to a closed McDonald&#8217;s, and then chased a cat he said resembled his grandmother&#8217;s into the rear of 115 Casey Ave.</p><p>Hart allegedly made his way inside the residence through a back door, where he started smoking a cigar. Hart told police he kicked a gas can &#8220;by accident&#8221; and then kicked it a second time. He told police he intentionally dropped his cigar into the pool of gas, knowing it would cause a fire.</p><p>Hart then said he went home and went to sleep, but was awakened by his fire pager. He then responded to the fire.</p><p>Hart faces three felony counts of arson and one felony count each of burglary and reckless burning.</p><p>He was arraigned on his charges Friday, and will appear before Magisterial District Judge Michael Dotzel for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. Jan. 20.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Police: Son of fire chief used cigar to start blaze, later fought the fire