A Shenandoah man has been charged with multiple felonies, including arson, after authorities determined a fire in the Shenandoah Family Development was intentionally set.
At approximately 1:44 a.m. on December 31, 2024, emergency personnel were dispatched to a house fire at 208 Pioneer Road. The initial report stated that a couch inside the unit was on fire. Upon arrival, first responders confirmed heavy smoke coming from the living quarters and located the burning couch inside.
Shenandoah Fire Chief Rick Examitas, along with a Pennsylvania State Fire Marshal, investigated the incident and concluded that the fire was not accidental. The property, owned by the Schuylkill County Housing Authority, was occupied by two residents, neither of whom were home at the time of the fire.
On Thursday, Shenandoah Borough Police Officer Mark Hysock charged Jesus Reinaldo Nieves Rivera, 41, with the following offenses:
- Felony 1 Arson – Inhabited Building or Structure
- Felony 1 Arson – Danger of Death or Bodily Injury
- Felony 1 Causing Catastrophe
- Felony 3 Criminal Mischief – Damage to Property (Intentional, Reckless, or Negligent)
- Misdemeanor 2 Recklessly Endangering Another Person
According to court documents, a neighbor called 911 after hearing smoke alarms and observing flames inside the residence. Firefighters extinguished a blaze on a loveseat in the first-floor living room and then discovered another fire in a dresser drawer inside a second-floor bedroom, where the door had been locked.
Fire Marshal Trooper Joseph Hall determined that the fire had two points of origin—one on the couch and another in the dresser—confirming it as arson. The affidavit noted that the fire placed 17 residents at significant risk.
The property was rented by Carmen Colon-Mercado. She told investigators that she had been staying with friends for the holidays and had asked Rivera, who frequently visited, to retrieve some paperwork for her.
Surveillance footage from a nearby store captured Rivera entering the residence twice. During the first visit, he was seen removing an item from the home and placing it in his vehicle before re-entering. Authorities noted that he entered again around midnight on December 31 and remained inside for approximately 90 minutes.
Minutes after Rivera left, the neighbor reported hearing the smoke alarms. Police also confirmed that the vehicle seen in the footage belonged to Rivera.
Colon-Mercado later reported that shoes and other personal belongings were missing from the residence. Investigators tracked Rivera’s movements through cellular data, which placed him in Northampton—the location where Colon-Mercado had been staying—after the fire.
Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker arraigned Rivera on Thursday and set his bail at $150,000 straight cash. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison.