Pennsylvania woman rejects romantic advance, then her house goes up in flames

On Wednesday, May 6, Police arrived at a residence on Bratton Avenue, Pennsylvania, to find the building engulfed in flames with people still trapped inside. The Lewis Police Department stated that when officers arrived, several residents immediately told them the fire was an act of arson and that others were still inside the burning structure.

Tragically, the Mifflin County Coroner’s Office confirmed that 44-year-old resident Brandy Phillippe died in the fire. Per PEOPLE, they noted that she had “attempted to flee the residence during the fire but was unable to escape.”

Two other residents suffered serious injuries while trying to save themselves. One man sustained “significant facial injuries” after jumping from the second floor, while a woman was seriously injured after passing out from smoke inhalation and falling onto the concrete sidewalk below. Both individuals were rushed to trauma centers for urgent care.

Investigators quickly identified 40-year-old Robert Zimmerman as a person of interest. Witnesses reported seeing him at the house shortly before the blaze began. According to authorities, Zimmerman was there “professing his love for a female who was living in the attic of the residence.” 

The situation escalated when he was rejected 

Authorities claimed, “It was reported that Zimmerman became upset when he was rejected by the female, and he began setting several items on fire on the first floor of the residence.” Witnesses allegedly heard Zimmerman confess to starting the fire while he stood in a nearby alley watching the building burn. 

The Lewis Police Department noted that surveillance footage appears to confirm his presence at the scene. When officers eventually located Zimmerman, they reported that he smelled “of ash and smoke.” He was initially detained on an outstanding warrant related to the fire.

During his interaction with law enforcement, Zimmerman admitted to taking fentanyl and displayed physical signs of an opioid overdose. He was taken to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital for medical evaluation before being moved to the police station for questioning. 

Based on his interview, the Lewis Police Department said, “Zimmerman claimed that he could not recall any details at the exact time the fire started, but was able to make several statements about events immediately before and after the fire started.” When he was told that an occupant had died in the blaze, police reported that he had a strong emotional response.

The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall officially confirmed that the incident was an act of arson. The Mifflin County Coroner’s Office is now investigating the death of Brandy Phillippe as a homicide. An autopsy was performed on Saturday, May 9, to formally determine the cause of her death.

Zimmerman is currently being held at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility. Charges, including arson, have been filed against him. Not unlike him, a young man in Tennessee, recently lost his temper when his mom tried to evict him. Instead of setting the house on fire, he set his mother on fire. Although none of these might be as bad as the father who abandoned his kids in a house fire.