Man Sentenced For Fireworks Arson That Destroyed Home

A 23-year-old Falls Township man was sentenced to state prison for his role in an arson fire caused by fireworks.

Abraham Keita Jr. was sentenced Monday by Bucks County Judge Wallace Bateman to serve 18 months to three years in state prison. He also has to pay $40,637.81 in restitution for damages not covered by the homeowner’s insurance.

According to court records, Keita pleaded guilty in January to arson and criminal mischief for his role in the unintentional fire that destroyed a family’s home at 531 Stevens Road in the Morrisville section of Falls.

Keita and a group of juveniles were lighting off fireworks and tossing them near houses from Stevens Road as a prank. At 531 Stevens Road, the “Proton Blast” fountain was thrown into the carport and caused several flammable materials to burn late on the night of June 3, 2017.

Within minutes, the home owned by Riley and Lisa Nollie was up in flames as the family watched. The family’s 14-year-old dog was removed unharmed and the Nollie’s son, a corrections officer and private body guard, was not home at the time.

Several explosions at the home were caused by a lawn mower and ATV that were destroyed by flames.

“Very little was salvageable, as what didn’t get burned got smoke and water damage,” Lisa Nollie said in court. “Thank God no one was hurt, as you set the fire at 11:40 p.m. If I was asleep I don’t know if I would have made it out.”

Lisa Nollie told court she had no ill will against the young man her caused her house to be destroyed.

“It’s my hope that, whatever sentence you get, you use this time wisely to reflect on your actions and the pain and suffering it caused. That thought is very simple; just think how you would feel if this happened to you and your family,” she said.

Keita was a former high school athlete who had been offered a college soccer scholarship.

The 23 year old apologized for the damage he caused and called his actions “childish and immature.”

Keita had lost his way in the past few years and worked in fast food restaurants and at a personal-care home after deciding he wasn’t ready for college following high school graduation, said Pete Hall, Keita’s public defender.  

“He was essentially drifting and smoking some pot most days,” the public defender said.

Keita pleaded guilty earlier this year to relatively minor drug charges. Police alleged in court papers last year that Keita had been selling marijuana. Bateman sentenced him to a concurrent three years of probation in the case.

At the time of the arson fire, Keita had no criminal record.

Hall called the fire a “completely unintended consequence of a reckless and intentional act.”

Assistant District Attorney David Burdett made the case that Keita was an adult who should have known the dangers of throwing fireworks.

“The defendant is indeed fortunate that nobody was harmed,” Burdett said.

“Over what? Why? Why did all of this happen?” the judge asked aloud. “That’s the thing I don’t understand.”

Following the blaze last June, Falls police and the fire marshal asked for information on the case from the public. Officials said tips from social media and LevittownNow.com readers along with detective work from police helped crack the case.