Homeowner Charged In Moon Twp. House Explosion
MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A man who was hurt in a house explosion last month in Moon Township is now charged in connection with the blast.
Shawn Landa, who lived in the home that was leveled now faces several charges, including arson, criminal mischief and risking a catastrophe.
The explosion leveled Landa's home on Charlton Heights Road, and damaged the homes of several neighbors.
"I did it" is the confession authorities say Landa gave during an interview about what caused his Moon Township house to explode the night of Oct. 12.
Nancy McArdle is one of nine homeowners listed in the criminal complaint filed Thursday.
She and others along Charlton Heights Road suffered serious damage to their homes when Landa's home exploded. His next door neighbor's home caught fire, sending the two to the hospital.
"I'm glad. I'm relieved because a lot of people's lives were endangered by what happened down here and it was too much to believe that it was just an accident," said McArdle. "I feel sorry for him because somebody that can do something like that can't be in their right mind."
According to the criminal complaint, 47-year-old Landa told investigators that he was depressed and was going through a difficult time with his estranged wife.
The affidavit reports Landa had recently tried to take his own life.
It was a telephone conversation between Landa and his wife the night before the explosion that was the final straw, and that a recent documentary on the Hindenburg gave him the idea, according the police report.
Landa says he broke a gas pipe in his home, turned on the knobs that fed the line, and then took a nap for the next four hours.
When he woke up and lit a cigarette, authorities say that's when the explosion happened, leveling his home and defacing much of the neighborhood.
RELATED LINKS:
2 Injured In Moon Twp. House Explosion (10/12/13)
More Moon Township News
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