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Pretrial hearing set in firefighter arson case
By Elise Franco
Sebring
A former Sebring volunteer firefighter will be back in court Sept. 23, accused of setting a fire in his neighbor’s yard.
Kristopher Sanor, 31, of Sebring, admitted to police that on Aug. 20 he purposefully set the fire in order to collect a paycheck, said Sebring Detective Ray Harris.
Sanor was charged Aug. 23 with arson and making false alarms and was arraigned Thursday in front of Judge Diane Vettori of Mahoning County Area Court in Sebring, Harris said.
No plea was accepted at the time of the arraignment, according to court records.
Harris said Sanor started the fire near a garage on the property and called to report the blaze under the name Kris Smith.
“He is a volunteer, and he was hoping to get sent out on a call,” Harris said. Volunteer firefighters are paid per call, he said.
The detective said police began investigating the fire, and while speaking with the property owners, determined that someone in the neighborhood, who they said was named “Kris,” had set other fires near their home.
During questioning, Sanor admitted to having set between four and six other fires at that same residence, though Harris said he didn’t say what his intent was.
Harris said after his confession, Sanor tendered his resignation in writing at the request of Fire Chief James Cannell.
Sanor was booked into Mahoning County jail and released on $35,000.