In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Ronald Edgar Frisbie III, a 29-year-old landlord, pleaded guilty to setting an apartment on fire in an attempt to evict two tenants. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of March 23, 2024, at a property on the 300 block of South Tenth Street in Akron Borough. Frisbie admitted to charges including two counts of arson, one count of burglary, and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.
According to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, Frisbie illegally entered the apartment and set fire to a box inside, causing the unit to fill with smoke. Fortunately, the two tenants present at the time were not injured.
The tenants reported to police that Frisbie started the fire around 3 a.m. to force them to vacate the premises. When officers arrived, they found smoke filling the apartment and a box with burn marks.
Assistant District Attorney Jessica Collo prosecuted the case, with Elizabethtown Borough Police Officer Alexander Reed filing the charges. Frisbie's sentencing will occur after a pre-sentence investigation is completed.