Suspect in garage fire faces trial
A Uniontown man charged with setting fire to a garage in Uniontown in May will stand trial on arson charges. Uniontown police Detective Donald M. Gmitter said two felony charges of arson filed last week against John Eric Shumar Jr., 42, of 15 Wilson Ave. were held for Fayette County Court following a preliminary hearing Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Mark L. Blair.
Additionally, a separate charge filed against Shumar by city police Detective Jason A. Cox for allegedly providing false identification to law enforcement was reduced to a summary charge of disorderly conduct, Gmitter said.
Shumar pleaded guilty to the reduced offense in that case, Gmitter said.
In a criminal complaint, Gmitter said Shumar set fire to a garage at 26 Stewart Ave. around 6:20 p.m. May 6. Fayette Furnace owned the garage, police said.
Gmitter said the heat from the fire damaged two other nearby residences on Stewart Avenue, both of which were occupied.
Gmitter said Uniontown Fire Chief Myron Nypaver told him several witnesses reported seeing Shumar, who lives across the street, at the scene of the fire.
Police said that following investigation, Shumar allegedly admitted to pouring gasoline onto some brush outside of the garage and lighting it on fire. Shumar said he then pulled the burning debris apart with a rake and threw some of the debris into the building, Gmitter said.
According to the complaint, Shumar said he then finished cutting the grass and didn’t notice the building was on fire until he walked back around the corner.
Gmitter said state police fire marshals Tom Maher and Bill Large determined the cause of the fire to be incendiary and ruled the blaze arson.
Gmitter said he received a tip on Shumar’s whereabouts and contacted Cox, who located Shumar on Wilson Avenue and picked him up on the arrest warrant.
Cox said Shumar allegedly gave him a false name when he went to arrest him on the arson charges, leading to the charge of providing false identification to law enforcement.