Former Bristol Twp. Firefighter, Alleged Co-Conspirator Arrested for Arson

An arson investigation into two fires by the Bensalem police and  the Bensalem Fire Marshal’s Office has culminated  in the arrest of two men, one a former volunteer firefighter in Bristol Township.

On Friday September, 20, Bensalem police arrested 19-year-old Robert Schaeffer, no fixed address and charged him with burglary, arson and recklessly endangering another person for two fires he allegedly set. One was at the Bucks Meadow Apartments on August 20 and the other at the Delta Gas Station located on Street Road on September 20.

Following that arrest, Schaeffer’s co-conspirator, Alberto Acevedo, 19, of the 3100 Block of Knights Road in Bensalem, was charged Thursday night with arson, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy and related offenses for his role in the fire at Bucks Meadows.

Acevedo paid Shaffer $200 to light a fire that was quickly put out by a maintenance employee of Bucks Meadow, which led Schaffer to tell his co- conspirator he was going to “cause a wreck” in planning to light the fire he is charged with at the apartment complex, police say.

Acevedo told investigators he is a former member of the Third District Fire Company in Bristol Township and currently a probationary member of the Eddington Fire Company in Bensalem, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Bensalem police Officer Samuel Karley arrived at Bucks Meadows and discovered an active fire in the laundry room. The officer attempted to get into the room but the door was locked and had to force his way towards the fire by climbing through a window as flames spread.  Once in the room, Karley found thick paper and used it to stomp on the fire and a trash can to smother fire, but then, records say, he filled the bucket with water from a sink and was able to extinguish the flames.

Because of Karley’s proximity to the flames, his pants and boots were destroyed, court records say. Later on,  Bensalem fire investigators said the blaze was caused by an open flame put to combustible materials and ruled it incendiary in nature, court documents show.

The fire at the Delta Gas Station, investigators say, was caused by open flame to available combustibles in a plastic trash can, which was placed inside of  a wooden cabinet in the rear storage room. Additionally, authorities observed what looked to be rolls of cash register paper stuffed in the garbage can which helped the fire burn, court records say.

A Bensalem police officer, noticed  a window was broken but the rest of the building was secure days prior to the fire. It’s that window Schaffer later told investigators he used to get in and out the gas station so he could sleep there.

Days later police responded to a burglary in process call. When arriving on scene the homeowner, who had seen the alleged suspect run out the back door of the residence, told police the man he witnessed running out the back door of his home was standing at the bus stop on Knights and Dunksferry roads, court documents say. The man was later was identified as Schaeffer, court records show.

Police took Schaffer into custody and while interviewing him he admitted to setting the fire in the laundry room at Bucks Meadow by lighting trash with a lighter. He also admitted to breaking  into gas station, sleeping there several times and  subsequently starting the fire there too employing  the same method used in the laundry room fire.

Schaffer and Acevedo are currently in Bucks County Prison with bail set at 10 percent of $75, 000. Preliminary hearing is scheduled before Bensalem District Court Judge Brown on October for Scaheffer and October 9 for Acevedo.

This is second set of fires in recent weeks where a volunteer member of a fire company in Bucks County has been arrested.  Cody Wagenseller, 18,  a probationary volunteer with the Sellersville Fire Company was arrested on September 13  for arson and related offenses for a massive blaze in Upper Bucks County.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.

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