COLUMBIANA CO. Salem man indicted in arson

An informant played a major role in enabling authorities to make an arrest in the case.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A teen-ager accused of setting fire to a historical covered bridge faces a prison term if he's found guilty.
A Columbiana County grand jury indicted David Pingley Jr., 19, of McCracken Road, Salem, recently on an arson charge. The fourth-degree felony bears a maximum 18-month prison term and a $5,000 fine.
Pingley, who is free on $2,500 bond, was arrested in April and charged in the Feb. 23 arson of the Teegarden Centennial Covered Bridge, which crosses Little Beaver Creek along Eagleton Road in Salem Township.
Authorities have said Pingley confessed setting fire to the bridge "on a whim."
Recent renovation
The fire came just weeks after the January completion of a $295,000 project to renovate the span, which was originally constructed in 1876.
A passing motorist saw the fire and put it out. Had he not acted, the fire could have significantly damaged or destroyed the bridge, officials have said.
Damage was limited to vertical planking on the bridge's side and to a structural member that escaped serious harm. Repairs are estimated to cost about $1,000.
The fire triggered an investigation and a $5,000 reward offered by an insurance company coalition.
A break in the case came when a 15-year-old boy who was with Pingley, but was not an active participant in setting the fire, told authorities that Pingley had committed the arson, Sheriff David Smith has said.
Arson has been a major problem affecting the county's historical covered bridges. Since 1998, three have been destroyed by deliberately set fires.
The renovation of the 66-foot-long Teegarden bridge, which is open only to pedestrian traffic, included application of a fire retardant and installation of security lights.
Since the fire occurred, county officials have posted signs at the bridge advising that loitering there is forbidden after dark.
The ban gives authorities more leeway to arrest someone simply lurking at the bridge, rather than having to catch them committing arson or some other form of vandalism.
Officials also are considering adding security cameras to the site to further protect the bridge.