Police probe bombing of house

Police found a bag of suspected crack in the house earlier this week.

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The New Castle police arson task force is investigating the firebombing of a house where two Ohio men were arrested earlier this week.

City firefighters said 218 E. Lutton St. suffered major damage after it caught fire at 12:25 a.m. Thursday.

Police said they were called to the house just before the blaze, when a neighbor called to say there was a man with a gun outside. When police arrived, the house was engulfed in fire.

The resident, Donald Weaver, 44, told police he was sitting in his living room when the front window broke and the curtains caught fire.

Weaver told police he was arguing with the suspect just before the fire. Police did not identify the suspect. No arrests had been made Thursday.

The house is owned by Dennis Wyant of Denver Avenue.

According to police, Weaver, the tenant, claims he would rent rooms in his home to people from out of town so they could do business.

Earlier arrests

Police had been to the house earlier this week and arrested two Ohio men on drug charges.

Kemar Campbell, 30, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and Tracy L. Johnson, 32, of Columbus, were each charged with drug possession after police found a number of small plastic bags, two digital scales, a suspected crack pipe and a bag of suspected crack that weighed 1.49 ounces inside the home.

Police were called to the house Tuesday evening for reports of a woman inside screaming for help.

When police arrived, three men came out and allowed police to search the house.

Police said when they went upstairs Campbell and Johnson were in the bathroom, and there was a large bag of suspected crack floating in the toilet bowl.

Firefighters said there were no injuries in the blaze, but damage was estimated at $40,000.