Greensburg woman found incompetent for trial in 2021 mattress fire

A Greensburg woman accused of setting a mattress on fire outside a three-unit apartment house last year was found incompetent to stand trial.

Gina M. Albertelli, 55, is charged with arson, reckless burning and related offenses in the May 22, 2021, incident.

She is being treated at Torrance State Hospital in Derry Township, according to online court records. The case will be reviewed in 60 days to determine if Albertelli’s mental condition improves enough that she is able to assist in her defense in preparation for trial, according to a court order from a Thursday competency hearing.

Albertelli is accused of setting the fire outside a West Otterman Street building in Greensburg after 10 p.m. Police said the mattress was in close proximity to a wooden staircase that leads to Albertelli’s apartment. The flames were quickly extinguished by city fire and police, according to court papers.

A witness told authorities that they saw Albertelli holding what appeared to be a lighter to the mattress before returning to her porch and smoking a cigarette. Police said they seized a can of lighter fluid and two cigarette lighters on the staircase. She told police she lit the fire because the mattress was infested with bed bugs, according to court papers.

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 30.