By Keith Gushard
04/24/08
April 23, 2008 09:21 pm
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LINESVILLE — The teenager who has confessed to burning down Conneaut Lake Park’s Dreamland Ballroom and Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church claims he tried but failed to put out the fires he started before they destroyed both buildings.
Nineteen-year-old Hartstown resident Nickolas Pope admitted he was out “to cause mischief” when he left a party and ended up causing $180,000 in damage to the historic 160-year-old church. The $1.5 million Dreamland Ballroom blaze appears to be little more than an act of aimless boredom.
The never-before-public details of both fires emerged Wednesday at a preliminary hearing for Pope in testimony by Special Agent Jason Wick of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Pope was ordered held for trial on two counts each of arson endangering persons, arson endangering property, burglary and criminal trespass following the nearly 90-minute hearing before Magisterial District Judge Rita Marwood.
Pope is accused by Pennsylvania State Police of setting fires that destroyed the church Jan. 13 and Dreamland Ballroom Feb. 1.
Pope was arrested April 4 after an investigation by state police and agents from the federal ATFE.
Pope’s name kept surfacing during interviews with associates and friends of Pope’s on April 3, Wick testified.
Pope agreed to meet with ATFE agents April 4 at Conneaut Lake Regional Police Department, Wick said.
During an interview in which Pope was advised he wasn’t under arrest, Pope admitted to setting the church fire and as well as the fire at Dreamland Ballroom, Wick testified. Pope was then questioned again with the interview videotaped, Wick said.
Pope told investigators he was at a party in Harmonsburg Jan. 13 and left with two other individuals “to cause mischief,” Wick testified.
Pope said he went to the rear of the church building, removed a window pane and went inside the church while the two others stayed outside, Wick testified.
Pope told investigators he used a butane lighter to try to ignite a Bible at the pulpit, but it didn’t catch fire, Wick said. Pope said he then ignited a flag in the sanctuary, tried to extinguish the blaze, but couldn’t, Wick testified.
Pope stated he and the two others then went back to the party, though later one or two others left the party to watch firemen put out the blaze, Wick said.
With regard to Conneaut Lake Park’s Dreamland Ballroom fire Feb. 1, Pope told investigators he had driven to the amusement park with another friend early that morning and they walked through the park, Wick said.
Wick testified Pope said he entered the Dreamland Ballroom/maintenance building through an unlocked door. Pope said made a torch out of wood, rags and cooking oil he found in the building and walked around inside it, Wick testified.
Pope said he tossed the torch inside the building after awhile, which caused a fire and Pope left, Wick said. Pope said he re-entered the building in an attempt to extinguish that fire, but wasn’t able, Wick said. Pope told investigators he and his companion then left the park, but Pope returned later to watch firefighters battle the blaze, Wick said.
In a later interview with Wick and Trooper Dana Beckwith, a Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal, Pope changed his story slightly, Wick said. Pope said he ignited debris inside the Dreamland Ballroom before departing the building, rather than just tossing the torch, Wick said.
Cross-examined by Pope’s attorney, John (Jamie) Mead, Wick said Jesse McGrath and Gordon Hopkins were with Pope at the Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church, but didn’t go inside. Wick said Julie Garrubba was with Pope at the Dreamland Ballroom, but didn’t enter the building with Pope.
Wick said none of those people have been charged.
Paula DiGiacomo, Crawford County first assistant district attorney, declined comment on whether any additional persons may be charged in the case.
Beckwith testified his investigation of the Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church fire scene found the pulpit area of the church was the apparent origin of that fire, but the exact origin and cause weren’t able to be determined. However, he said the fire was suspicious because the church’s electrical system, heating units and water heater were ruled out as causes.
Beckwith said the Dreamland Ballroom fire was considered suspicious because of the way the fire had progressed through the building and statements of firemen at the scene. Firemen from three different vantage points had noticed heavy smoke from the center of the interior of the building, Beckwith said.
Following Wednesday’s hearing, Pope was recommitted to Crawford County jail in lieu of $300,000 bond.
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