A 1-year-old child was inside a Williamsport home on Memorial Avenue when police say a Philadelphia man returned with a bottle of gasoline and set the porch on fire, less than an hour after he was thrown out of the house following an altercation. Police are now actively searching for 35-year-old Saleen Kadeem Cole, who faces aggravated arson, arson, and risking catastrophe charges in connection with the blaze.
According to NorthcentralPA.com, police were first called to the home in the 1000 block of Memorial Avenue for a domestic altercation. Officers reportedly left after responding, but several people had already physically removed Cole from the home, and a woman there identified him to police as responsible for what happened next. Per the outlet, Cole had allegedly urinated on the floor of the home before he was kicked out, a detail a family member gave to the paper.
Gas Station Video and a Melted Bottle Cap
The station's report says Cole returned to the property less than an hour after being removed, allegedly carrying a bottle of gasoline he had paid for with change at a nearby gas station. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the gas station showing Cole filling the bottle while wearing the same outfit witnesses later described near the fire. A witness described seeing a Black man wearing a white t-shirt, dark pants, and a mask near the flames, per the same account.
Williamsport Bureau of Police Agent Jason Bolt said Cole threw the gasoline bottle onto the porch before running away, the report states. A witness told investigators she saw a large fireball erupt on the porch. Video from a nearby home reportedly showed a person matching Cole's description running toward the residence and then, moments later, running past the same camera in the opposite direction. Investigators later recovered the melted top of the gasoline bottle at the scene, and an investigator determined the cause of the fire to be arson, according to the same report.
Extinguished Before Firefighters Arrived
The homeowner and a witness used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze before police and fire units arrived, the outlet reports. Even so, the fire caused severe damage to a large portion of the porch, damaged parts of the home's south-facing exterior wall, and burned an outdoor rug, per the same account. A witness also told police that the man pointed a gun at her before fleeing the scene.
The report also states that Cole called the woman at the home while she was speaking with police, and allegedly told her, “I'm not denying that, I'm not saying that I did, but…” and later, “I'm not responsible for my actions.” Cole reportedly also said he was heading back to Philadelphia. No bail or court dates have been set, and police say they are actively seeking him.
The Charges He Faces
Cole is charged with aggravated arson, arson, and risking catastrophe. Under Pennsylvania law, aggravated arson applies when a person intentionally sets a fire or causes an explosion in connection with a felony-graded offense while someone is present inside the property; the statute also separately addresses cases involving bodily injury, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Because a 1-year-old was inside the home when the porch was set alight, that charge carries added weight in this case. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, children ages 0-4 had a higher relative risk of dying in a fire than older children in 2023.
Aggravated arson is graded as a first-degree felony in Pennsylvania, punishable by up to 20 years in state prison and fines as high as $25,000, according to McAndrews Law. The separate risking catastrophe charge, defined under state law as recklessly creating a risk of widespread injury or destruction through dangerous handling of fire or explosives, is outlined by Justia Law. All charges remain allegations at this stage, and Cole has not been convicted.
A Familiar Block for Serious Investigations
The 1000 block of Memorial Avenue has drawn major police attention before, including a fatal shooting in December 2023 that resulted in a homicide conviction earlier this year, according to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Citywide, Williamsport's overall crime rate sits at roughly 22.87 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, with southern neighborhoods seeing a higher concentration of criminal incidents than the northern part of the city, per CrimeGrade.org.
The Williamsport Bureau of Police, which is leading the search for Cole, underwent a leadership change earlier this year when Capt. Justin Ottaviano was promoted to Chief of Police in February, according to CRIMEWATCH. Agent Bolt, who is leading the arson investigation, previously served with the FBI's Northeast Computer Crimes Task Force and has specialized training in computer and cellphone forensics, according to PennLive.
If convicted, Cole would also face lasting consequences beyond prison time. Pennsylvania law permanently bars anyone convicted of arson from ever serving as a firefighter or obtaining state fire service certification, per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. State law separately prohibits felony arson convicts from obtaining court-ordered legal name changes, according to the Jerner Law Group. For now, police say Cole remains at large, and the investigation is ongoing.
