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Arson arrest made for Moose Club fire

Times Observer photo by Katie Miktuk Officers were dispatched to the Moose Club, 422 Pennsylvania Ave. W., for a "report of smoke in the structure" at about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday.

A homeless man is behind bars and faces charges including burglary and arson in connection with a Tuesday evening fire in the City of Warren.

The defendant is identified by City of Warren police as 32-year-old Joseph Ryan Kuzminski.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed with District Justice Laura Bauer late Wednesday night, officers were dispatched to the Moose Club, 422 Pennsylvania Ave. W., for a “report of smoke in the structure” at about 9:50 p.m.

City of Warren fire crews advised that a police response was needed to the second floor of the building where police observed “candles burning in a room that is commonly used as just storage.” A window leading to the roof was also open.

Further investigation found a fire escape on the rear of the building that led to the open window and a “plastic bucket burnt on the floor that started the floor boards on fire” was found. Police indicate they could only determine that it was a bucket due to the metal handle.

Times Observer photo by Katie Miktuk Officers were dispatched to the Moose Club, 422 Pennsylvania Ave. W., for a "report of smoke in the structure" at about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday.

In an adjacent room, police also discovered a digital scale, pill bottles belonging to Kuzminski and another individual, phone chargers and a cordless drill, among other items.

Patrons in the club noticed a burning smell but the source wasn’t discovered until someone went outside and observed “a smoke haze on the second floor of the building.”

An individual went up to investigate and heard noises. That individual returned and heard “several items crashing around” but didn’t enter the room further “because she had no idea how many suspects there were.”

Police allege that security camera footage revealed Kuzminski in the rear of the building as well as speaking with the cashier at Kwik Fill.

Police then, per the affidavit, located Kuzminski, who allegedly admitted “to being in the Moose Club.”

He agreed to answer questions and “admitted to going up the fire escape and locating a partially open window” by which he gained access to the building.

Kuzminski, according to the affidavit, then told police that “he intentionally started the fire in the building to use for light and heat” but “got distracted as he was looking through boxes.”

According to the criminal complaint, he told police that “if something would have caught his eye he probably would have took it.”

He then reported to police that the fire was approximately one foot over the top of the bucket and said he “got scared and went out to the bathroom and got a container of water and dumped it on the fire” before leaving the building “when he heard and saw the Fire Department out front of the building.”

He also reported to police that, per the criminal complaint, he took a cordless hammer drill and cordless drill — valued at $490 — from a church at Third Ave. and Market St.

City of Warren Police Chief Brandon Deppen credits the city fire and police departments working together to bring a suspect into custody.

“The guys were called over to the location along with the fire department” Tuesday night, Deppen said. “The fire department recognized the fire being suspicious in nature.”

“The two departments worked together to identify the source and were able to make identification of a potential suspect,” he said. “That person was located today and taken into custody.”

Online court records indicate that Kuzminski faces charges including burglary-overnight accommodation; person present, bodily injury crime, arson-danger of death or bodily injury, risking catastrophe, criminal mischief/damage property intentional, reckless or negligent, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

He was preliminarily arraigned by District Justice Laura Bauer late Wednesday night and placed in the Warren County Jail after he was unable to post $100,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in the matter for 1 p.m. March 3.

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