Woman accused of setting Harmar apartment fire on her eviction day faces charges

The woman who lived in the first-floor apartment of a house in Harmar that caught fire Tuesday has been accused of intentionally setting the blaze.

Allegheny County Police say Marrisa Ash Szczpinski, 25, admitted to starting the fire in her apartment after being evicted for falling behind in her rent payments, according to a criminal complaint.

The fire caused about $60,000 in damage. Nobody was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Szczpinski was arrested on five felony counts of arson. She was released from custody on a nonmonetary bond. She faces a preliminary hearing before District Judge David Sosovicka on Jan. 9, according to court records.

Multiple departments responded to the fire, which was reported at 12:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of Wenzel Drive, a dead-end road that sits along the banks of the Allegheny River.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to investigate after the owner of the two-story apartment house told Harmar police the fire was reported moments after Szczpinski left her home, the complaint said.

Investigators determined the fire started in a first-floor bedroom and ruled it to be arson.

Harmar police requested help with the investigation from county police, the complaint said.

The woman living on the second floor, Rhonda Altson, was at work when the fire broke out. She went to the scene to learn that all of her belongings likely were destroyed.

Altson said she has insurance that she hopes will cover the cost of replacing her items.

A GoFundMe page was set up to provide her with immediate assistance.

Detectives wrote in a criminal complaint that state Constable Eric McCall went to Szczpinski’s apartment shortly before 12:30 p.m. to follow up on an eviction notice that expired at midnight Monday, Dec. 19.

McCall told police he saw Szczpinski leaving from a side door when he arrived. He said Szczpinski told him she had made arrangements with the landlord to collect her belongings.

Moments after she drove off in a black SUV, McCall saw smoke coming from the eaves above the side door, the complaint said.

McCall tried unsuccessfully to get in the house to check whether anybody was inside before calling 911.

The owner of the building told police Szczpinski moved into the first-floor apartment in September 2021, but he began eviction proceedings in August for delinquent rent payments, the complaint said.

Investigators said Szczpinski returned to the scene and was taken in for questioning at the Harmar police station, where she waived her right to remain silent, according to the complaint.

Szczpinski told police she intentionally tipped a candle on her bedroom nightstand onto a stack of papers.

She said she watched the flames spread until the mattress ignited and then left through the side door, the complaint said.