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In Pennsylvania, a man faces charges for allegedly igniting a house fire that resulted in a fatality, reportedly spurred by a woman’s rejection of his romantic overtures.
Robert Shane Zimmerman was apprehended on May 6 following a devastating fire that swept through a home in Mifflin County. The tragic incident claimed the life of Brandy Phillippe and left two other individuals hospitalized with severe injuries, as noted in a statement from the Lewistown Police Department.
Brandy Phillippe Tried to Escape House Fire, But Died Inside the Property
Authorities responded to an emergency call about the fire around 11:55 p.m. on May 6 and discovered that several occupants were trapped inside. One man, suffering from severe facial injuries, managed to escape by leaping from the second floor. He was subsequently airlifted to a burn trauma center due to internal burns to his throat. Meanwhile, another woman was found clinging to a second-floor window, according to police reports.
Despite the perilous situation, the woman initially refused to jump, ultimately losing consciousness due to smoke inhalation and falling to the concrete below, sustaining critical injuries, authorities reported.
After firefighters managed to douse the flames, they discovered the body of a 44-year-old woman inside the home. The Mifflin County Coroner’s office later confirmed the victim’s identity as Phillippe in a statement, revealing that she had attempted to escape the inferno but was ultimately trapped.
Although her cause of death was still undetermined, the coroner’s office said it was investigating her death as a homicide.
Robert Zimmerman Allegedly Became Upset After He Was Rejected and Set Fire, Police Say
Police said investigators honed in on Zimmerman—known to others by the nickname “Tranny B”—after multiple witnesses reported that the 40-year-old had allegedly been in the house before the fire “professing his love for a female who was living in the attic of the residence.”
“It was reported that Zimmerman became upset when he was rejected by the female and he began setting several items on fire on the first floor of the residence,” police said. “During a subsequent investigation, witnesses reported hearing Zimmerman making admissions to starting the fire as well as seeing him standing in a nearby alley watching the residence begin to burn.”
Police said Zimmerman was also spotted on surveillance footage.
The woman who Zimmerman professed his love to survived the fire and was taken into custody on a prothonotary warrant in another case.
Zimmerman—who officers noted smelled like ash and smoke—was located at a boarding house where he lived and taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, according to the police statement.
He then allegedly told investigators he’d ingested fentanyl and began to display signs of overdosing. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was later returned to the police station for questioning about the fire once the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall declared the blaze to be the result of arson.
“Zimmerman was questioned and made several incriminating statements,” police said. “Zimmerman claimed that he could not recall any details at the exact time the fire started but was able to make several statements about events immediately before and after the fire started.”
Police said he also had a “strong emotional response” after learning that one resident died in the fire.
Zimmerman is currently being held at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility on the outstanding warrant. Police said additional charges are expected to be filed in connection to the arson and death. It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney.