United States (Pennsylvania) - A Milton man is facing three charges of arson after he allegedly left footprints in the snow leading to and from a shed fire. Gary Shemory, 31, faces three felony counts of arson and one count of criminal mischief stemming from the Feb. 9 incident at 321 N. Front St. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. today.

When police arrived at the scene, they were advised by firefighters that the blaze had been set, according to court documents. The firemen reported seeing a set of fresh footprints in the snow leading to the structure, then from the shed to a home at the rear of 321 N. Front St., police said.

An examination of the shed revealed the source of the blaze to be a red gasoline can, a blue kerosene can, wood, paper and accelerant, police said. Police were able to confirm these findings and talked with Shemory, the resident at the rear of 321 N. Front St., according to court documents.

At first, Shemory denied setting the fire, saying he saw two males running from the structure after the fire started, police said.

However, police noted he kept glancing at a pair of work gloves, which had an "overwhelming odor" and a burn mark on one of the fingers.

After further questioning, Shemory admitted to setting the fire during a suicide attempt, but saying that he had second thoughts and decided to call 911, police said.

The owner of the shed estimated the loss at $500 to $1,000.

Written by The Daily Item

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