The 38-year-old man accused of setting fire to the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confessed to “harboring hatred” towards the Democratic politician, prosecutors said Monday.
Early Sunday morning, Shapiro and his family were woken by police after a man broke into the official governor’s residence in Harrisburg and set fire to the room where they had just celebrated the first night of Passover.
Police say that the blaze was set by Cody Balmer, who turned himself in on Sunday afternoon, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to authorities, he broke a window at Shapiro’s residence and then threw multiple bottles full of gasoline before fleeing the scene.
Balmer, who faces charges of arson and homicide, among other offenses, confessed to “harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” per the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office. According to prosecutors, he also admitted that, had he encountered the governor, “he would have beaten him with his hammer,” NBC News reported.
Balmer turned himself in on Sunday after police were contacted by a woman claiming to be his ex-girlfriend. Prosecutors said police later recovered a bag containing a sledgehammer and other items “identical to those observed in the surveillance at the Governor’s residence.”
