A former car dealership employee was arrested on two counts of arson after vandalizing a car dealership and setting fire to a private warehouse in Pennsylvania overnight, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
Sean Gahagan, 56, faces multiple felony arson charges after authorities say he admitted to setting fires both at his former workplace, JG Transmission Co., and at the property of a man he owed money to. was arrested.
According to the prosecutor's office, the incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2023, after officers were called to a fire at a car dealership that had burned down.
Just 15 minutes earlier, at around 8:30 p.m., police were called to a shed fire at the rear of the property.
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Sean Gahagen, 56, was arrested in December 2023 for setting two fires in one night. (Montgomery County Police Department)
An investigation into the cause of the fire, which completely destroyed the JG transmission and caused limited damage to the shed, determined that both fires were intentionally started.
Inside the shed, fire investigators found a can of fire starter and a can of Gum Cutter, a highly flammable product used to clean various parts of car engines. Fire investigators discovered that the “gum cutter” was a product used by JG Transmission.
Officials said Gahagan is a former JG Transmission employee who had visited the company earlier that day to ask for a job.
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A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for setting two arson fires in one night. In one case, he set fire to his former employer, and in the other case, he set fire to someone he owed money to. (Montgomery County Police Department)
Surveillance video also showed the man walking back and forth from his car to the auto dealership about six times before the fire was reported.
Law enforcement officials say the same vehicle was seen on video near a house fire shortly before the fire was discovered.
Police records say Gahagan “felt cheated” after being ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution to the shed's owner after he was previously arrested for setting a fire on the same property. reported Fox 29 in Philadelphia.
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An auto shop in Pennsylvania was gutted by arson after a former employee set fire to a store and a personal storage unit. (Montgomery County Police Department)
Gahagan was arrested on Jan. 1 after he entered the church wearing the same camouflage jacket seen on surveillance footage, according to the DA's office. Additionally, a nearby license plate reader captured the vehicle's license plate, which matched Gahagan's vehicle.
Gahagan is charged with first-degree arson, a felony, as well as six other felonies: arson, risk of catastrophe, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, criminal mischief, and possession of instruments of crime.
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He was arraigned on January 19, 2024, and bail was set at $500,000. His bail review hearing is scheduled for January 26th.
