NANTICOKE — A Nanticoke man was arrested after he allegedly ignited papers on fire during a domestic disturbance inside his residence on West Green Street on Saturday.
Macarton Norman Pierre, 31, was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Spagnuolo in Plains Township on four counts of simple assault, two counts of arson and a single count of criminal mischief. He was jailed without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility as Spagnuolo deemed him a danger to society and a flight risk.
Pierre was wanted by the county Sheriff’s Department when he was arrested Saturday.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police responded to the West Green Street residence for a domestic disturbance at about 11:38 a.m.
As officers encountered Pierre and a woman on the front porch, they noticed a smoky haze through the open front door.
The woman told police Pierre arrived home and began smashing items inside the residence. Officers noticed overturned furniture, broken doors and holes in walls, the complaint says.
Police in the complaint reported the woman claimed Pierre placed papers on a glass stove top and turned on the burners, igniting the papers and filling the residence up with smoke.
A roommate suffered a burn to her right hand when she attempted to extinguish the fire.
The woman claimed Pierre attempted to burn the house down with two adults and two children, 8 and 11, inside, the complaint says.
Court records say a judge’s warrant was issued for Pierre when he failed to appear Nov. 29 for a preliminary hearing on drunken driving charges that were filed by state police at Hazleton. He is also facing drug possession charges by…
