Who is Cody Balmer, suspect in Josh Shapiro home fire case?

The police department confirmed that Balmer hopped the fences, evaded the troopers and set the fire. The 38-year-old was apprehended in the Harrisburg area immediately after Shapiro and his family were evacuated. He is facing aggravated assault and arson-related charges. The suspect’s photo has not been released yet.

Officials added that Balmer had a ‘very methodic plan’ and was in and out of the residence within minutes. “While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence,” the State Police said.

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“While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson,” the department added, without mentioning the motive.

This comes after the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed that they are investigating an arson at the governor’s residence overnight. Josh Shapiro said in a post on X that he and his family ‘woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg’. The fire was lit at around 2 AM. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, according to authorities.

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Shapiro, a Democrat, is considered a potential candidate for his party’s presidential contest in 2028. Before the fire, he posted last night about his family’s Seder table while celebrating Passover.

“Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities,” Shapiro said, “Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.”