2 suspects arrested in southeastern Pa. arsons

[underpants]

Source: AP/Yahoo


Roger Leon Barlow

COATESVILLE, Pa. – Authorities hunting for arsonists behind a string of fires in this small steel town made two arrests within hours of each other.

Roger Leon Barlow Jr., 19, and Mark Gilliam, 20, were arrested Thursday in connection with the blazes that have left several dozen people homeless and prompted city officials to declare a state of emergency.

Barlow, described as a pyromaniac who liked to watch things burn, was charged with setting nine fires in the town of Coatesville, including a block-long blaze that displaced dozens of people last month.

Gilliam, of West Chester, faces a federal charge for the Jan. 25 attempted arson of a restaurant in Thorndale, four miles east of Coatesville, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said.

"I just think he got with the wrong crowd," the elder Barlow said. "The wrong crowd led him up the wrong path."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090220/ap_on_re_us/coatesville_arsons;_ylt=Ag27m.6qBxl9JeomMBdJb.VvzwcF

[Uben]

1. Anyone who starts fire to watch them burn..............

...is a sick SOB who is definitely a threat to society and need to be locked up forever!

[MinneapolisMatt]

2. The "wrong crowd"?!?!

Bullshit.

I ran with some crazy people at his age, and we didn't become arsonists.

[juno jones]

3. The father is projecting blame,

Someone so eager to blame others rather than question his own son's mental state seems at least to be in denial, if not outright defensive.


I bet anything there's more to the story.

[mwb970]

4. Gee, and the kid looks so smart, too.

I wonder where he went wrong?

[Blue_Tires]

5. he's going to need a special cell for his own protection...

[Tempest]

6. The arsons occurred in mainly Black neighorhoods

And the cops were blaming gangs for the arsons.

I hope the Justice Department looks into this as a hate crime.