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Volunteer Firefighter Facing Charges In Connection With 5 Indiana Co. Arsons

INDIANA (KDKA) – A 19-year-old man who worked as a junior volunteer firefighter is facing charges in connection with a series of arson cases in Indiana County.

According to police, the five fires were set between March 1 and April 5 at the following locations in Center Township:

  • Coral Graceton Post Office on First Avenue
  • A home along Timberland Drive
  • A wooded area along Luciusboro Road
  • In the brush along English Lane
  • A wooded area along Murray Avenue

Police have now filed charges against Aaron Liggett, 19, of Blairsville, in connection with the five fires. Investigators say he was also a junior firefighter with the Coral Graceton Volunteer Fire Department.

Liggett has been suspended from the department since the investigation began.

"I don't understand how they could think they could get away with it," said lifelong resident of Coral, David Dellafiora.

The mysterious spring blazes were big news in the little town.

"It's probably a town of 350 people," Dellafiora said.

The post office burned down on March 24 after a fire was started in or around a burn barrel, which spread to the building due to some high winds.

A week before that fire, a mobile home burned down on March 16. A neighbor said he was alerted to the blaze by Liggett.

"Heard a knock on the door, went to see what was going on, it was after dark. He said there's a trailer on fire," said neighbor, Darius Harper.

Harper helped his neighbors get out of the home, and then started looking for the fire.

"I went running up, pulling the skirting off. He said, 'No, it's above the fuel tank,'" Harper said of Liggett.

After it was out, Harper said he started wondering how Liggett knew where the fire was coming from.

"How the hell did he know exactly where it was?" Harper said.

Damage estimates from the fires top out at about $400,000. But the people KDKA spoke to say Liggett did not, however, damage the reputation of their town's bravest.

"It is a good fire department," said Dellafiora. "It's just one bad apple, I guess."

Liggett faces 26 felonies, and 50 criminal counts in total. He's free on $25,000 bond.

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