Bond set for man accused of arson at ex-'s Austintown home

AUSTINTOWN

Bond was set at $250,000 cash or surety today for a man accused of setting fire to an ex-girlfriend’s home, vehicle and garage.

John P. Petroff, 41, of Youngstown, was arraigned in Mahoning County Area Court on five aggravated arson charges. Two of the charges are for the people inside of the main house, another two are for the two homes damaged by the fire, and the fifth is for damage to the fence line separating the homes.

No pleas were accepted because the charges are felonies.

Petroff said in court that he is unemployed and will need a court appointed attorney.

His preliminary hearing will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Investigators from the Austintown Fire Department attended his arraignment and went back to the 160 S. Navarre Ave. home to continue the investigation.

Police found Petroff this morning at a home near his ex-girlfriend’s house. He had burns on his leg but told police he had been home all night, according to a police report. Officers could see smoke still coming from his leg and skin dripping off.

Read the complete story in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.