Surprising twist in fire rescue of couple, wife charged with aggravated arson

By Ed Runyan | February 9, 2016 at 12:00a.m.

NEWTON FALLS

There’s been a twist in the story of the deputy who saved a couple whose home was on fire on South Canal Street Extension in Newton Township on Jan. 16: The wife has been charged with aggravated arson.

Beverly Laney, 68, of Canal Street Extension was arraigned Monday in Newton Falls Municipal Court on the charge. No plea was required, and her $5,000 bond was continued. She returns to court next Tuesday. If convicted, she could get eight years in prison.

Beverly Laney was booked into the Trumbull County Jail on the charge last Thursday and released a couple of hours later on bond.

Deputy Dallas Young was on routine patrol in the township Jan. 16 when he was alerted by county dispatchers of a fire at the home of John Laney, 69, and Beverly Laney.

Young was the first officer or firefighter to arrive and saw smoke coming from the home. He told dispatchers it appeared John, who uses a walker, and Beverly might still be inside.

Young went in the house and saw Beverly, “who appeared disoriented and confused,” Young wrote in his police report.

He helped her outside to the porch after she said John had locked himself in his bedroom.

Young went back in to find John, but Beverly followed him inside “yelling for me to get him out,” so Young took Beverly back outside a second time.

“I then got her back out and again went back for her husband. As I yelled out to him, he stated that he was ‘over here,’ but I was unable to see him with all the smoke,” Young said.

Young yelled again and discovered John Laney was by a side door. Young came around the front of the house, where he and Dave Thompson of the Newton Falls Police Department helped John out of the house.

The Laneys both suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to the hospital by ambulance; both suffered minor injuries.

Matt Balut, chief of the county Fire Investigative Unit, which investigated the fire, said he could not discuss the details that led to the charge being filed.