Murrysville landmark owner backs leniency for building's arsonist

Monica Meehan sat quietly in a Westmoreland County courtroom Friday to watch the man who burned down her business, the Spaghetti & Steakhouse and Hot Rod Lounge in Murrysville, receive a state prison sentence.

“It’s pretty devastating and the land is for sale now,” Meehan said. “At the time, things were pretty wonderful. We were just getting back to business (after the covid-era shutdowns) and were happy to be back.”

Prosecutors said Brian P. Lucas, 46, of Murrysville set fire to the building in May 2021.

Meehan, 68, of Export, in a letter given to county Judge Tim Krieger, asked for Lucas, a man she had never met, to receive leniency. She said she believes in second chances.

Lucas pleaded guilty in August to arson and other related offenses in connection with the fire. He was sentenced to 2½ to five years in prison and an additional two years on probation.

The business was originally built by Meehan’s great uncle in 1963. She repurchased for her family in 1989.

“It was my life and my family’s life, but if someone is sitting in prison and is asking to go to a rehabilitation center I’m in favor of that,” Meehan said following the sentencing hearing. “In my life experience I’ve seen a lot of drug addicts, and I have compassion for that. I would like to see him get help.”

Defense attorney George Saba said Lucas, who has already served about 31 months in jail since his arrest, has been accepted into a rehabilitation program and asked that he be immediately paroled. It will be up to the state parole board to determine when Lucas is released from prison, Krieger said.

The judge said he agreed to a lesser sentence for Lucas based on Meehan’s letter.

“This court tries to consider mercy in every case. What you did was very dangerous, and if someone was in that building you could be facing a homicide charge,” Krieger said.

Lucas said he regrets his actions. He told police following his arrest that he was angry and on drugs when he set the fire.

“I want to apologize to Ms. Meehan and her family for what I put them through. I am so sorry,” Lucas said.

Lucas also received a concurrent sentence for a related case in which he pleaded guilty to criminal mischief. Police said that as the fire raged at the restaurant, Lucas broke into and was found sleeping in a parked vehicle at Jim Shorkey Chevrolet, just across Route 22.

In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered Lucas to pay more than $1 million in restitution but acknowledged Meehan was unlikely to see any of that money.

“Unless he hits the lottery he’s never going to pay it back,” Krieger said.