Waynesburg man held for court on arson charges
A Waynesburg man charged with setting fire to a church and a home in Greene County in August was held for court on all charges following a preliminary hearing on Monday.
Police said the clothing they found in Jesse Patterson’s motel room had distinctive marks that matched those seen in surveillance footage from St. Ann Church and a residence at 260 High St. Both are located in Waynesburg.
Borough Officer Nathan Hamilton, who had responded to the scene, recalled seeing surveillance footage provided by the church of a person seen minutes before the fire began on the night of Aug. 30.
The video showed someone walking towards the Bell Room, a large social room on the lower level of the church’s preschool annex building at 11:43 p.m., before running back out five minutes later.
“He then began moving out of the Bell Room, past the camera again,” Hamilton testified. “Shortly after, smoke and flames.”
The first 911 call was recorded eight minutes later.
Patterson is also accused of setting fire to a trailer at 260 W. High Street on the morning of Sept. 1. A video from a neighbor’s camera showed someone running away from the scene with a backpack similar to that of the person in the church footage.
While Patterson’s face was not visible in the videos, Hamilton testified he had often seen Patterson around the borough during his shifts and recognized his “distinctive gait.”
Borough Police Chief Billy Nichols said items found in Patterson’s motel room matched those seen on the videos, including a white camouflage hoodie, a black backpack with distinctive reflective patterns, and K-Swiss shoes with distinctive markings.
Based on interviews with preschool employees and an investigation of the scene of origin, arson was “the only plausible explanation” for the church fire, testified state police Trooper Kenneth Sherman, who investigated the fire scenes. He said the same was true of the High Street fire.
The investigation continues into other suspected fires in the Waynesburg area during that weekend, including one at Buddy’s Motel in Franklin Township.
Patterson faces felony charges of arson, aggravated arson, burglary, reckless burning, risking catastrophe, criminal mischief, institutional vandalism of a place of worship and criminal trespass.
Because it involves a house of worship, the arson case against St. Ann could be tried in federal court instead. Greene County District Attorney Brianna Vanata said that is still being determined.
Patterson is being held in the Greene County jail on $250,000 bond.
There was no date immediately available for his formal arraignment date.