Published: July 23, 2015
Second-degree murder, arson and fraud charges were pending Wednesday night for the owner of a home that burned Saturday, a fire that investigators say killed his brother.
Diomedes Ceballos, whose age and address were not available Wednesday, was to be charged in connection with the fire at a home on 12th Avenue’s 300 block, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Diomedes Ceballos agreed to pay his brother, Aurelio Ceballos, $5,000 to set fire to the home in an effort to collect insurance money, the affidavit says.
Aurelio Ceballos was found dead in a Valley View Terrace apartment unit Sunday. Lackawanna Coroner Tim Rowland determined he died from burn wounds and ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators said in the hours before his death, Aurelio Ceballos told a witness that his brother had offered to pay him and instructed him how to start the fire.
Aurelio Ceballos had doused the home with gasoline, but lit the fire while he was still inside and ignited his clothes, investigators said.
Diomedes Ceballos filed an insurance claim in the days following the fire; he was insured for approximately $500,000, investigators said.
When the Erie Insurance representatives tried to contact a witness
Diomedes Ceballos had provided for them, they found the phone number and
address belonged to Aurelio Ceballos, investigators said.
An arraignment was expected sometime Wednesday night; however, Diomedes
Ceballos complained of chest pains and police took him to the hospital.
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Fire that destroyed West Scranton home declared arson
Published: July 18, 2015
Utility workers
try to turn off gas to a house fire on the 300 block of 12th Avenue in
Scranton on Saturday, July 18, 2015. Jake Danna Stevens / Staff
Photographer
Water rushes over
fire hoses as the Scranton Fire Department works to put out a fire on
the 300 block of 12th Avenue in Scranton on Saturday, July 18, 2015.
Jake Danna Stevens / Staff Photographer
A fast-moving fire that destroyed a home in Scranton early this morning was an arson, Fire Chief Patrick DeSarno said.
Scranton firefighters were dispatched at 12:59 a.m. to a home at 321 12th Ave. and found heavy smoke and flames.
The Lackawanna County Communication Center reported several calls about
the fire, at least one of which reported an explosion at the time the
fire started.
“It’s been declared an arson,” Chief DeSarno said. “We have some
witness accounts of someone leaving the scene, and then they heard an
explosion or pop.”
No one was home at the time of the incident, he said.
A natural gas line fueled the fire and made fighting the blaze more
difficult, forcing a defensive posture, and there also were high-tension
wires overhead, he said. Utility crews later were able to turn off gas
and electrical service to the home.
Firefighters also heard pops during the fire that they believed likely were caused by ammunition set off by the heat, he said.
The home was so badly damaged and unstable that it was declared an
emergency demolition, and city Department of Public Works crews knocked
it down this morning, the chief said.
A firefighter suffered an arm injury and was treated at a hospital, the
chief said. He declined to identify the injured firefighter.
“It’s been declared arson, one of our guys was hurt, we had a hell of a
time with the gas, and there were high-tension wires overhead,” Chief
DeSarno said.
Homes on either side of the fire also were damaged. A house on one side
had siding melted, while the other house had some water damage.
The fire remains under investigation.