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Pocono News Section
Arrest Made After Arson at State Rep's Office
Arrest Made After Arson at State Rep's Office - Thursday, March 27, 2008 at 7:13PM EST
Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 @07:13pm EST
Mount Carmel Police say 28-year-old Kevin Mazur torched State Representative Robert Belfanti's office over Easter weekend. Belfanti says the dangerous act has left him very restless. "I probably have had 7 hours of sleep since it happened. So, anger, anxiety, the whole gamut of emotions, worrying about my family," he said.
The blaze caused about $150,000 worth of damage to Representative Belfanti's office, destroying government equipment and many of his personal mementos, as well as leaving an upstairs tenant and his father temporarily homeless.
But according to Northumberland County District Attorney Anthony Rosini, Mazur said the fire was nothing personal against the representative. "It appears more to be an act against government that he was frustrated with the system and government as a result of a custody action that he was involved with in another county and he was just lashing out at the nearest thing he could find," he said.
Mazur, who was already on probation, lived with his family just across the street from Belfanti's office. His mother, Gail, says, among other problems, Kevin was on the losing end of a bitter custody battle.
While she doesn't believe her son was responsible, she described the problems that have beset Kevin as having a domino effect. "You know the children aren't here. On Sunday, it was Easter Sunday. Kevin's younger brother died on Easter Sunday," she said.
Mazur was arraigned before District Justice Michael Mychak Thursday. According to the arrest affidavit, he admitted breaking into Belfanti's office and setting the blaze. His bail was set at $100,000.
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