Tenant charged in fire that destroyed Latrobe apartment house

Early Wednesday morning, Gary Hair asked an upstairs neighbor, Brandon S. Baradziej, to lend a hand as he connected a television in an apartment house in downtown Latrobe.

Hair, 62, never got a chance to watch his new $500 TV, because Baradziej came running from his second-floor apartment at 509 Main St. shortly after 6 a.m. to warn Hair “to get out” because of a fire.

“I immediately called 911. Then, we both went up to Brandon's apartment to look. ... His closet door was closed, but fire already was coming out both ends of the closet doors and through all the cracks,” Hair said.

Hours later, Latrobe police charged Baradziej, 31, with arson and related criminal counts because he confessed to setting the fire that destroyed the apartment house, displacing five families. No one was injured.

Police Chief Jim Bumar said the building was still burning when Baradziej admitted to setting the fire to collect on $16,200 in renters insurance. He told police he was involved in a crash Wednesday morning that left his car inoperable and came up with the arson scheme to get money because his only income is $755 a month in disability benefits, according to court documents.

Baradziej was arraigned on two counts of arson and one count of possession of explosive and incendiary materials.

“He said he used cologne as an accelerant to douse papers, clothing and books in his closet. He crumpled paper ... lit it with a grill lighter, then placed it in the closet, igniting the closet and the contents,” Bumar said.

Baradziej told investigators he waited until the fire advanced before alerting tenants.

Hair said Baradziej eagerly helped him assemble a stand and connect the TV about 3 a.m. and returned to his own apartment an hour later. Hair estimated it was just past 6 a.m. when Baradziej warned him of the blaze.

“I can't believe it. I lost everything. ... I didn't even have rental insurance,” Hair said. “How do you like that? I save my money and just bought two recliners for $600, and then paid $500 for the television last night, and I never even got to watch anything on it.”

As the building burned, Hair sat on the sidewalk under an umbrella a few feet from the rubble of his former home, still wearing the Pittsburgh Steelers pajama bottoms and T-shirt he had on when he fled.

“Luckily, everyone got out safely,” Hair said. “That's the important thing.”

Cindy Fisher, another tenant, said she was at work at nearby Pennsylvania Plastics Solutions when a co-worker who is a Ligonier firefighter told her about 6 a.m. that the house may be on fire. A co-worker drove her to check.

“I was on the second floor. ... I lost everything. I loved my apartment,” she said.

The American Red Cross is providing clothing, food and shelter to the displaced tenants.

Latrobe fire Chief John Brasile credited quick action by city police with getting tenants out of the building.

“We were fortunate everyone got out safely,” Brasile said. “Fire was coming out of two front windows on the second floor and a side window when we pulled in.”

Brasile said he ordered firefighters out of the structure about 7 a.m. when he determined the second floor and roof were unstable. A half hour later, a portion of the roof and chimney collapsed.

Bumar said the owner, Frank Pampena, estimated the loss at $300,000.

Brasile said it was the fourth time firefighters were called to put out a fire in the Main Street apartment building in the 16 years he has been chief.

Baradziej failed to post $35,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 8 before Unity District Judge Michael Mahady.

Baradziej is familiar to several area police departments.

• Last week, Jeannette police cited Baradziej for trespassing inside the former Monsour Medical Center on Route 30. He was cited for public drunkenness in the city earlier this month.

• Latrobe police charged him with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct Friday.

• On May 15, North Huntingdon police cited Baradziej for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to online court records.

• In 2013, Baradziej was sentenced in Common Pleas court to serve a concurrent four- to 23-month sentence in the county prison in connection with three 2012 arrests in Latrobe for criminal mischief, simple assault, public drunkenness and harassment.

Paul Peirce is a reporter for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at ppeirce@tribweb.com or 724-850-2860.