Man wanted for setting his house on fire to kill spiders in Pennsylvania is later taken into custody for hit-and-run in NYC

A man accused of starting several fires in his Pennsylvania house in an apparent attempt to kill spiders was apprehended in New York City after fleeing a hit-and-run crash.

The events began Monday evening in Pocono Pines, when Pocono Mountain Regional Police reacted to flames at 36-year-old Sean McDermott’s townhome on Uncus Lane, according to Chief Chris Wagner of WPVI.

The fire quickly spread and damaged three nearby units. According to investigators, the fire began inside McDermott’s home after he allegedly ignited tiny fires throughout the day, telling a friend and witnesses that he was attempting to kill spiders inside.

Police say McDermott, of East Moriches, New York, started a fire on the floor and then put a sofa on top of it. Despite a friend’s repeated attempts to extinguish the flames, McDermott rekindled them, according to the man.

Both guys fled the house at one point, only to return to find it completely engulfed in flames.

Volunteer firefighters fought the blaze for about eight hours in frigid weather and slippery conditions before putting it under control, Wagner said.

McDermott fled the fire scene in a U-Haul vehicle, according to police reports. Nearly 100 miles later, New York Police Department officers responded to a hit-and-run collision involving the truck in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday night.

The man, eventually identified as McDermott, abandoned the truck and fled, but was arrested.

When McDermott was arrested, the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit and bomb squad were dispatched to the location, where officers discovered nitrous oxide canisters, also known as laughing gas, and a liquid accelerant in the truck, according to Wagner.

McDermott was charged in New York with resisting arrest, impeding governmental administration, illegal vehicle operation, criminal possession of a prohibited narcotic, and unlawful possession or sale of hazardous material.

He has four past charges in New York City, including one for violence in 2019, according to WPVI.

After appearing before a local judge, McDermott is anticipated to be extradited to Pennsylvania to face more charges, including arson, in connection with the Pennsylvania fire.