A Lewistown man is facing felony arson charges after police say he started fires in four dumpsters in downtown State College early Wednesday morning.
At about 12:30 a.m. police responded to reports of multiple dumpster fires on West Calder Way and discovered fires had been started in four dumpsters between the 100 block and 300 block, according to a criminal complaint. A short time later, Penn State and State College officers made contact with Jorge L. Natal-Sanchez, who matched the description a witness provided to dispatchers, in the parking lot of the Imperial Motor Inn, 118 S. Atherton St..
Natal-Sanchez, 32, ‘was making furtive movements in the direction of his pants pockets,’ and consented to an officer’s request to search him, according to the complaint. Police said they found 14 lighters, four micro USB cords still in their packaging and 5 USB adapters in his pockets.
The witness positively identified Natal-Sanchez and said he saw him leaning into one of the dumpsters. The witness went into a building and less than a minute later looked out and saw flames coming from the dumpster Natal-Sanchez had been leaning into, police said.
An officer went into the Minit-Mart, 106 N. Atherton St., and allegedly confirmed that the the lighters, cords and adapters had been stolen from there.
Police said they spoke to Natal-Sanchez’s girlfriend, who an officer had seen walking with him. She was asked if security cameras would show just Natal-Sanchez, but not her, stealing from the Minit-Mart and lighting the fires and she allegedly nodded yes.
Natal-Sanchez was charged with two felony counts of arson endangering property – reckless endangerment of inhabited buildings, three felony counts of reckless burning and a misdemeanor count of retail theft.
He was arraigned before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker and was unable to post $100,000 straight bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 31.
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