Man Confesses To Starting House Fire In Uniontown
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - One man is in custody after confessing to setting a Uniontown house on fire.
John Anthony Mack, a 49-year-old homeless man, is charged with starting a fire at a home on Main Street in Uniontown along with trying to destroy a vehicle Friday night.
According to police, this was more than just a man trying to set a house ablaze, this was an act committed by a man trying to take his own life.
After starting the fire, Mack went to a Uniontown hospital with burns covering most of his body and that's when he confessed to starting the fires.
"When one didn't work, so he went to the vehicle, thinking it would explode, and it didn't, and he actually used the words, 'I realized this wasn't my day to die.' Then he fled from the scene," said Lt. Thomas Kolencik of the Uniontown Police.
When asked why he wanted to take his own life, Mack said it was because of long-time drug addiction. He is currently using methamphetamines.
"A lot of times its just people give up," said Lt. Kolencik. "They go from being clean to not being clean and realize at some point, it's a battle they are tired of fighting and I think that was the case here and he wanted to end his life."
It's hoped Mack will get help for his addiction, but he has since been sent to a Pittsburgh hospital to be treated for burns and mental health issues.
He is facing charges of arson, criminal mischief, and burglary.