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Report: Woman Dies After Arsonist Sets Wrong House On Fire

MERCER COUNTY (KDKA) -- Police say a fire that killed a woman in Farrell last week was caused by someone who intended to set the woman's neighbor's house on fire.

The fire happened in the 1100-block of Wallis Avenue just before 10 p.m. on March 25.

The Sharon Herald reported that 46-year-old Regina Norris was found dead after a fire tore through her home.

Now police tell the Sharon Herald that someone set Norris's house on fire, but that person intended to set the house next door on fire in response to an alleged domestic assault.

The Sharon Herald reports that 54-year-old Leonard Savage lives in the house next to Norris's. The night of the fire, Savage allegedly hit a woman repeatedly with a hard, plastic tube and kicked her when she fell to the ground. The woman suffered a concussion.

According to the Sharon Herald, an unidentified relative of the woman and Savage was seen on surveillance footage at a gas station. Sixty-three-year-old Blaine Coleman was a passenger in the relative's car. The unidentified relative pumped $1 worth of gasoline into a red plastic container, then got back into the vehicle and drove to Wallis Avenue.

Police say Coleman said he told the relative where Savage lived, but the relative then mistakenly set Norris's house on fire.

The Sharon Herald says Coleman told police the fire was intentionally set because of the alleged domestic assault.

Coleman was arraigned Thursday on charges of homicide, conspiracy to commit aggravated arson and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.

Savage was arraigned Tuesday on charges of robbery, assault, reckless endangerment and harassment.

Police told the Sharon Herald the investigation is ongoing.

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