Pennsylvania arson suspect was free on bail ‘to co-parent’ after alleged family violence: report
The man accused of setting the Pennsylvania governor's mansion ablaze over the weekend was out on bail stemming from a 2023 domestic assault case.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family escaped without injury early Sunday. Cody Balmer was arrested in the attack.
Balmer had been out on bail stemming from an incident in 2023. Fox News confirmed that in January of that year, police responded to a call from the residence of Balmer, 38, after his 13-year-old son called police to report that Balmer was beating his wife.
A criminal complaint filed by the Penbrook Borough Police Department regarding the incident, after which Balmer was charged with three counts of simple assault, said Balmer took an entire bottle of pills in an attempt to kill himself. When his son stepped in between Balmer and his wife, Balmer allegedly shoved his son out of the way and then punched his wife with a closed fist.
That complaint also said that during the fight, Balmer elbowed his 10-year-old son and stepped on his leg, which was healing after it had recently been broken. Balmer's wife also hit him during the fight, according to the report. She said she was acting in self-defense.
Court records show that Balmer was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to face those charges.
Additionally, Fox News has learned that Balmer's mother called the Penbrook Police Station before the alleged arson attack searching for help for her son, who she said had mental health issues and was not taking his medicine.
The police department said the warning calls did not meet the criteria for a police intervention.
After his Monday arraignment, Balmer briefly responded to a question about whether he was mentally ill.
"That's the rumor, but no ma'am," he told Judge Dale Klein during a brief Monday arraignment hearing.
Balmer told the court that he had no history of substance or alcohol abuse and said that he had taken medication for mental health in the past, but that the pills "lead [him] to different types of behavior."
Balmer displayed bizarre behavior during Monday's hearing, sticking his tongue out at reporters as he entered the courtroom. He identified himself as an out-of-work former welder with no income, money or savings during the hearing. He served in the Army Reserves from 2004 to 2012, according to an Army spokesperson.
Fox News also confirmed that the accused man was out on bail related to a domestic abuse case during the time of the alleged arson.
However, he was allowed out on bail to "make [it] easier to co-parent," ABC News reported.
According to the criminal complaint against him, "Balmer admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro." Balmer told investigators "he removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken bottles he found at his residence."
Balmer also reportedly admitted to the crime while in police custody. He allegedly scaled the fence of the governor's mansion, entered through windows broken with a hammer, and lit it on fire with homemade incendiary devices.
Balmer is being held without bond on charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and other related offenses after allegedly setting the fire in the early morning hours on Sunday.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens explained further in a Sunday press conference.
"He actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence," said. "While [police] were searching is when he attacked at the residence, [and] broke in and set the fires…it was a very quick event that occurred."
Fox News' Stephen Sorace, Andrea Margolis, Pilar Arias, Liz Friden, Kitty Le Clare and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.