Cody Balmer: Suspect denied bail for attempted murder, arson at Gov. Shapiro's home
Cody Balmer: Judge denies bail for man accused of Pa. Gov. Mansion arson
A Harrisburg judge has denied bail for 38-year-old Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting Governor Josh Shapiro's residence on fire Sunday morning.
HARRISBURG, Pa - Court documents have revealed new and shocking details about a man who allegedly set fire to the Governor's Mansion in Harrisburg, the place Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family call home.
What we know:
Suspect arrested after arson, attempted murder at Gov. Shapiro's home
Court documents have revealed new and shocking details about a man who allegedly set fire to the Governor's Mansion in Harrisburg, the place Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family call home.
Cody Balmer is facing several charges in connection with what officials say was an intentional fire, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses.
The 38-year-old suspect turned himself into authorities on Sunday after the Governor's Mansion went up in flames overnight, forcing state police to rescue Gov. Shaprio and his family, who were asleep inside.
According to court documents, Balmer admitted to "harboring hatred" towards the governor, and told police that he was responsible for the fire.
In a timeline of events, Balmer stated that he filled beer bottles with gasoline from a lawn mower, walked one hour to the house, scaled the fence, broke two windows with a hammer, then threw Molotov cocktails inside.
He also claimed he would have beaten Gov. Shapiro with a hammer if he was confronted inside the house, court documents state.
Arson at Gov. Shapiro's home: Pictures of damage at Governor's Mansion released
Pictures of the charred damage done to Governor Josh Shapiro's home in Harrisburg have been released after an arsonist fire to it Sunday morning.
The backstory:
Gov. Shapiro says he and his family were woken up by bangs on the door by state police after an "arsonist set fire" to the Governor's Residence around 2 a.m. Sunday.
The terrifying ordeal came just hours after the governor hosted a celebration for the first night of Passover.
Shapiro, his wife, additional guests and staff members were all safely evacuated as crews extinguished the fire, which caused significant damage to the Governor's Mansion.
Fire officials give update on arson at Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline provides details on the firefight that took place after police say a man intentionally set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence in the state's capital city.
Officials say security video captured Balmer, armed with a hammer, throwing an incendiary device into a broken window before going inside the home to deploy a second device.
Law enforcement searched the area for the suspect, recovering gloves seen worn by him in surveillance footage.
Prior to Balmer turning himself in, court documents reveal his ex-girlfriend called police claiming that he admitted to setting the fire.
Balmer was in police custody at a hospital for a medical event "not connected to this incident or his arrest," state police said on Monday.
He was then transported to the Dauphin County Prison to be arraigned, where he was denied bail by a judge that evening.
What they're saying:
Gov. Shapiro and his family received an outpouring of support from fellow state leaders, who described the alleged arson as "troubling, shocking, despicable and cowardice."
PA Supreme Court, state leaders react after Gov. Shapiro home set on fire
State leaders and officials react after Governor Josh Shapiro's home in Harrisburg was set on fire Sunday morning.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from court documents released by PA Courts, along with information from Pennsylvania State Police and local officials.