Pennsylvania Man Charged with Arson after Rejected by Woman, Killing Army Veteran

A Pennsylvania man faces arson charges after police said he set a rented home on fire in Lewistown when a woman living there rejected him. The fire killed an Army veteran and seriously injured two others.

Robert Shane Zimmerman, 40, was arrested after allegedly igniting the blaze around 11:55 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Lewistown Police Department.

Officers who arrived at the scene learned from residents that someone had intentionally set the fire and that people remained trapped inside the home, which had several subletters.

One man jumped from the second floor and suffered significant facial injuries. He also had internal burns to his throat and was flown to a burn trauma center. He told authorities his girlfriend was still inside.

The girlfriend passed out from smoke inhalation, fell onto a concrete sidewalk below and sustained serious injuries. She too was taken to a trauma center.

Brandy Phillippe, 44, was found dead inside the home. The Mifflin County Coroner’s Office said she appeared to have tried escaping but became trapped.

Witnesses told police Zimmerman had come to the home to profess his love for a woman living in the attic. The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal later confirmed the fire as arson.

"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. They added that the woman was later taken into custody on a prothonotary warrant issued in February.

Witnesses said they heard Zimmerman admit to starting the fire and saw him standing in a nearby alley watching the home burn. Surveillance images backed their accounts, police said.

Officers took Zimmerman into custody at his home on an outstanding warrant and for questioning about the fire. He smelled like ash and smoke.

After his arrest, Zimmerman said he had just taken fentanyl and showed signs of an opioid overdose. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Several hours later, medical staff cleared him, and police brought him in for questioning.

Zimmerman made "several incriminating statements" during questioning, police said. He claimed he could not recall details from the moment the fire started but remembered events just before and after.

Police said Zimmerman had a "strong emotional response" when told someone in the home had died.

He is being held at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility on multiple charges, including arson, police told the Lewistown Sentinel.

Phillippe's death is being investigated as a homicide, according to the coroner’s office.

Her obituary described her as a "woman of many talents" with a background in culinary arts who attended flight attendant school. "She was a proud Army veteran who specialized in Patriot missiles during her service. Later in life, she achieved her CDL and worked as a professional truck driver," it reads. "She had a passion for cats and loved many over the years."