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The original item was published from 7/13/2018 3:18:13 PM to 9/8/2018 5:00:08 PM.

News Flash

District Attorney

Posted on: July 13, 2018

[ARCHIVED] Man Ordered to be Tried for Charges Tied to Lancaster City Hall Arson

DwainLondonJr

A Lancaster man charged with involvement in a May 23 arson at Lancaster City Hall will be tried on all counts, a district judge ordered this week.

District Judge Janice Jimenez heard testimony at a preliminary hearing from a Lancaster city detective before bounding over all charges in the case against Dwain London Jr. to Lancaster County Court.

London, 29, at Lancaster County Prison on $2 million bail, is charged with eight felonies, including multiple counts of arson and terrorism.

First Assistant District Attorney Christopher P. Larsen presented testimony at the July 11 hearing from Lancaster city police Detective Jessica Higgins, who filed charges in the case.

Higgins testified that the front doors of City Hall at 120 North Duke St. burned in a fire, along with a city vehicle parked nearby. It was determined the fires were set with an accelerant.

Higgins also testified of surveillance video which showed London’s vehicle around the crime scene at the time the fire was set.

Also, according to testimony, surveillance video showed London purchased gasoline at a Turkey Hill store and placed a red item, consistent with a gas container, into his vehicle just minutes before the arson.

Patrick J. Baker, 18, of York, is also charged in the case. He waived a preliminary hearing and all charges were bound over to Lancaster County Court.

London Jr. and Baker are presumed innocent.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright

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