Ringtown man jailed on arson, threat charges

Jul. 28—MAHANOY CITY — A Ringtown man was jailed after he lit a fire inside the Mahanoy Township home of his estranged girlfriend Monday night, police allege.

Raymond D. Miller Jr., 51, of 102 Jerrys Road, was charged by Mahanoy Township police Patrolman Matthew Williams with one felony count each of arson-inhabited buildings or structures and causing or risking a catastrophe, along with a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats.

Miller was arraigned Monday night by on-call Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $100,000 bail.

Williams said around 7:10 p.m., he was called to 353 Park Place Road in the Village of Park Place for a report of a domestic dispute and spoke to Lynn Anallo, who reported Miller was upset and suspicious because she did not answer her cellphone at work. The two got into an argument during which Miller threatened to kill her, Anallo told police.

Miller began walking around with a lit cigarette lighter, threatening to burn down the house, according to police.

At one point, Anallo said, Miller went to her second floor bedroom and set fire to a plastic palm tree that burned briefly, Williams said. The tree had a burn mark, Williams said.

Williams said that once Miller set the fire he fled the area and was gone when police arrived. Around 8 p.m., Williams was again called to the home after Miller returned.

Miller fled out a back door but was later located hiding in a shed to the rear of 531 Park Place Road, Williams said, and had two cigarette lighters and a torch lighter in his possession.

Bayer scheduled a preliminary hearing for Miller at 9 a.m. Aug. 5 before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.