Nazareth Woman Pleads Guilty to Arson

Karla Dewey admits Friday in Northampton County Court to setting fire to her townhome last March while her 3-year-old son was inside.

A Nazareth woman pleaded guilty Friday to setting her townhouse on fire last year. Karla Dewey, 31, of Nazareth, admitted before Northampton County Judge Anthony Beltrami Friday to arson and welfare endangerment charges in connection with setting fire to the 40 N. Green St. home she rented with her 3-year-old son inside, the Morning Call reported. Nazareth Police Chief Thomas Trachta said Friday that he would not comment on the case. Dewey's defense attorney, Christopher Shipman, could not be reached for comment. Assistant District Attorney John Obrecht, who prosecuted the case, also could not be reached for comment. Dewey was accused of starting a fire in March 2012 that destroyed the end unit of a row of townhouses at 40 N. Green St.—…

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Fire Near Scene of 2 Horror Movies May Be Arson

An old barn burned Monday on a Lehigh County property where 2 horror movies were filmed.

North Whitehall Fire Marshal Don Jacobs said a Monday morning fire in an abandoned barn at 4767 Cobbler Road is considered "suspicious." The adjoining slaughterhouse, which was the setting for two indie horror movies, was not damaged. "There's no natural cause that would set my mind at ease," Jacobs said. "There was nothing stored in there that could self-ignite, no farming equipment or anything - just some old hay." Jacobs said the barn hasn't had power or been used in any way since 1980. "We did bring in the Allentown arson dog and the Pa. State Police fire marshal from Dublin," Jacobs said. "We're taking this very seriously because one thing can lead to another and we don’t want anything to get worse." He confirmed they have some active…

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Arson Suspect Feared Husband's Reaction to Fire, Trooper Testifies

Karla Dewey, 30, of Nazareth, is accused of sparking the blaze that destroyed the end unit of a row of townhouses at 40 N. Green St.; she is also accused of lighting poster board on fire at St. John's UCC.

Cigar ashes -- carelessly tapped onto the arm of a loveseat -- ignited a N. Green Street blaze that destroyed the end unit of a row of townhouses and displaced five families.  And the woman charged in the fire sobbed loudly at a court hearing last week as a state police trooper testified that she initially lied about what happened because she feared her husband's reaction. After the two-hour hearing Nov. 19, District Judge John Capobianco sent nine charges against 30-year-old Karla Dewey to Northampton County Court. She remains in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $65,000 bail. Dewey, of the unit block of Belvidere Street, is accused of starting a fire on March 13 that destroyed the end unit of a row of townhouses at 40 N. Green St. -- …

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Ben Miller

1:46 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

It is unbelievable to me that Karla has still not accepted any bit of blame for endangering her son, her neighbors, causing $80,000 in damage and misleading good people in our community who tried to help her family. She sobs loudly in court to try and get herself some sympathy, she blames her lying on her husband, claiming she was worried he would be angry and fearing for her safety. Where's the …   more ›

Nazareth Fire Victim Angered by Alleged Arson

Chuck Arthur says he lost most of what he owned in a fire on N. Green Street in Nazareth last March that police say was set by his next-door neighbor.

Chuck Arthur has to get up by about 3 a.m. for work, so it's normal for him to take a nap after he gets home in the early afternoon.  If he had been napping on the afternoon of March 13, he's not sure he'd be alive today.  That's because on that date, Arthur was living in a rented row home at 38 N. Green St. in Nazareth, next door to Karla and Rich Dewey and their son, Cole. On March 13, a fire started in the Dewey's home at the end of the row, destroying it. Arthur said smoke and water ruined his furniture, television, computer, clothes and other belongings.   On Monday, Sept. 10 police charged Karla Dewey with arson for allegedly setting that fire and another in 2009 at St. John's United Church of Christ in Nazareth.  "I pretty much lost…

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Alleged Arsonist's Arrest a 'Slap' in Community's Face

Over $1,700 in donations had been collected for the Nazareth woman who is accused of starting a fire that destroyed the townhouse she shared with her husband and son, leaving the donation drive's organizer feeling betrayed.

After a fire ripped through and destroyed a N. Green Street townhouse, the Nazareth community -- and some individuals and businesses from surrounding communities -- saw a local family and neighbor in need. Donations included: State Rep. Joe Emrick even dropped off three gift cards for the family of three, which consists of Rich and Karla Dewey and their 3-year-old son, Cole. The generosity of the community, however, has been overshadowed by the arrest of Karla Dewey, 30, who is accused of igniting the blaze that left her home a hollowed-out shell. Will Karla Dewey's case affect future giving in the Nazareth community? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. She also faces charges that stem from a 2009 arson case at St. John's …

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Nazareth Woman Charged with Arson at Borough Home, Church

Karla Dewey, 30, of Nazareth, is accused of sparking a blaze that destroyed the end unit of a row of townhouses at 40 N. Green St.; she is also accused of lighting poster board on fire at St. John's UCC.

Red-faced and sniffling back sobs, Karla Dewey politely answered District Judge John Capobianco’s questions with “Yes, sir” or “No, sir.”  Dewey’s only sign of insubordinate behavior was the shaking of her head -- as if in silent protest -- as Capobianco read the nine counts spread over two arson cases the 30-year-old Nazareth resident faces. Dewey's husband, meanwhile, is a volunteer firefighter. And Karla Dewey is a person of interest in six other unsolved arsons / criminal mischief – suspicious fires in Nazareth, according to Police Chief Thomas Trachta. Dewey, of 41 Belvidere St., is accused of starting a fire on March 13 that destroyed the end unit of a row of townhouses at 40 N. Green St. -- where she lived with her husband and their…

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Arson Suspected at N. Green Street Home

Police Chief Thomas Trachta did not confirm -- or deny -- a connection between suspected arson on Sept. 26 and again on Dec. 23, according to a report in the Express-Times.

A home on N. Green Street in Nazareth was the scene of another suspected arson, according to a report in The Express-Times. On Dec. 23 at about 8:45 p.m., the report states, someone set a flower pot on fire on the front porch of a home on the 100 block of N. Green Street. The siding on the house sustained minimal damage, according to the report. In September -- almost exactly three months ago -- two fires near a home on N. Green Street were being investigated as arson. No one was injured and no arrests have been made in either incident. According to The Express-Times report, Police Chief Thoms Trachta did not confirm -- or deny -- a connection between the September and December fires. Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity on N. …

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Take Our Poll: Arson Suspected, Do You Feel Safe?

Two fires Monday night near a home on N. Green Street in Nazareth are being investigated as arson; do you feel safe in your neighborhood?

Two fires Monday night near a home on N. Green Street in Nazareth are being investigated as arson, according to Police Chief Thomas Trachta. No one was injured and no arrests have been made, he said. Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity on N. Green Street or in the area of the Nazareth post office are asked to call Trachta at (610) 759-9575.

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Arson Suspected After Two Fires Near N. Green Street Home

Two fires Monday night near a home on N. Green Street in Nazareth may have been intentionally set, according to a report in the Express-Times.

Two fires Monday night near a home on N. Green Street are being investigated as arson, according to a report in the Express-Times. A little after 8 p.m. Monday, Vigilance Hose Co. No. 1 was dispatched to 34 N. Green St. for a report of a "rubbish" fire. According to the Express-Times report, a decorative wreath was set on fire, and about 50 minutes later, police were called for another fire at the rear of the home. No one was injured and no arrests have been made, according to Police Chief Thomas Trachta. Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity on N. Green Street or in the area of the Nazareth post office are asked to call Trachta at (610) 759-9575.