Towanda man convicted on arson charge following August 2023 arrest
TOWANDA, Pa. (WETM) — A Towanda man was convicted on Tuesday following an arrest made back in August where police say he was burning items too close to a house.
According to the Bradford County District Attorney’s Office, 62-year-old Robert Wayne Devine was convicted on Tuesday, May 7, of arson – endangering property, a second-degree felony, after an arrest on August 27, 2023.
The document states that on August 27, 2023, a Towanda Police Officer saw black smoke coming from an area near Second Street and Third Street in Towanda.
Police arrived at an area on Tidd Alley where Devine was seen throwing boxes and other items onto an active several feet from the house.
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The report states that when officers told Devine to stop feeding the fire and talk to them, he went into the house and locked the door.
Fire crews were requested and arrived to put out the fire, and after it was out the siding on the house was reported steaming.
More officers arrived to get Devine out of the home, where he was eventually tased after refusing to leave an upstairs bedroom where the documents say he was hiding with a machete.
Bradford County District Attorney Richard Wilson said that no one was harmed during the incident, saying it could’ve been worse if it wasn’t for the efforts made by the police and fire department.
The document states that Devine had been warned about burning things outside his home for several weeks before the incident on Aug. 17, even going as far as being cited for the activities, and pled guilty.
Devine’s sentencing is scheduled for July 1, 2024.
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