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19-year-old man, two juveniles charged with setting fire to classroom.
KINGSTON TWP. – A Dallas Fire and Ambulance volunteer charged with participating with two juveniles to set a fire in a modular classroom at Dallas High School waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Friday.
Kristopher Harger, 19, of Kingston, along with his attorney, Frank Nocito, appeared before District Judge James Tupper and waived to Luzerne County Court felony charges of arson and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief.
Prosecutors withdrew eight felony counts of conspiracy and three felony counts of arson against Harger.
Dallas Township police and the state police at Wyoming charged Harger and two boys with conspiring to set a fire at the high school on July 22 because they were bored.
The threesome unsuccessfully tried to ignite the school’s library by throwing two gasoline-filled bottles against a window. When that failed, the juveniles forced their way into a modular classroom and ignited paper on fire using gasoline, according to arrest records.
Police alleged in arrest records that Harger drove the juveniles from the Dallas fire station to the school. After the fire was set, Harger called 911 and was spotted near the school by a Dallas Township police officer, arrest records say.
Police obtained a search warrant on July 29 for Harger’s cell phone records, which indicated he did indeed make a 911 call that was processed through a cell tower near the high school.
Police said the two juveniles were petitioned to Luzerne County Juvenile Court on arson-related charges.
Dallas Superintendent Frank Galicki and district Business Manager Grant Palfey said First General Services of Wilkes-Barre is repairing the modular classroom.
The school board held a special meeting on Aug. 17 to apply for a waiver from the state Department of Education allowing repairs to begin without seeking sealed bids on the work.
Galicki said repairs should be finished within a week to 10 days. Several classes had to be held in other rooms within the high school, the superintendent said.
“The only cost to the district was $2,500 for the insurance deductible,” Galicki said.
The district has been using modular classrooms to relieve crowding in the high school, which is set to be replaced. Construction of a new high school is expected to be completed in 2010.