PLUM, Pa. — A man in Plum is facing charges after police say he tried to blow up his own home.
At first, neighbors were blaming People’s Gas for a home that was filled with natural gas. It turns out, according to police, the homeowner is the one to blame.
It’s hard for Alivia Cooper replaying the last few days in her mind, when the smell of natural gas flooded their Plum street, and she and her family thought People’s Gas was to blame.
According to police, People’s Gas was not at fault — and their neighbor, Neil Yetsko tried blowing up his own home right next door to Cooper’s.
“He could have killed my family,” she said. “He was a friend of ours, we had him over for parties and holidays and he could have killed us all.”
According to detectives, Yetsko went out of town and left two candles burning in his home. Then, he allegedly called People’s Gas the next day to report a gas leak.
When crews got there, they broke down the door and shut off the gas and power.
“He asked my dad to go over that morning and check. Luckily my dad was at work because if he would have went inside and start messing with things, he could have died,” Cooper said.
That’s when Channel 11 got involved last month, after neighbors told us about the significant leak at Yetsko’s house.
But what they didn’t know… is that Plum detectives were working behind the scenes after they say Yetsko couldn’t keep his story straight.
“I think that it just became apparent on what was going on, and because of the recent activity over the last few years, it became important to hurry up and try to get this done as quick possible without any further damage to the community,” Detective Danny Moriarty said.
After questioning Yetsko multiple times, they say he eventually told detectives that he heard the gas leaking, and was hoping the house would explode with him inside of it then left his home.
There is now a warrant out for Yetsko’s arrest.
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