Man facing charges in fire at wife's home

February 18, 1998|By DON AINES

Man facing charges in fire at wife's home

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A Fayetteville, Pa., man was charged by Pennsylvania State Police with arson after his estranged wife's mobile home was destroyed in a Valentine's Day fire.

Michael Lee Rudisill, 36, of 1881 Black Gap Road, also was charged with three counts of criminal mischief and five violations of a protection-from-abuse order, according to state police.

Rudisill was arraigned Tuesday before District Justice Gary Carter, and was being held in Franklin County Prison on $250,000 bond.

State police said Friday that Rudisill and Robyn Bethany Rudisill, 33, of 649 N. Franklin St., Chambersburg, went to a bank in Shippensburg, Pa., to cash an income tax refund.

The report alleged she was threatened and verbally abused.

The report said at 5:30 p.m. she was traveling north on U.S. 11 when a southbound pickup turned around and began following her. The pickup rammed her car twice and forced her off the road, according to allegations contained in the report.

Todd Baker, an off-duty Chambersburg police officer who was still in uniform, witnessed the incident and stopped to help Robyn Rudisill, according to the report. The man in the pickup fled when Baker stopped, according to police.

At 10:15 p.m., the report said, a cinder block was used to smash the windshield of Robyn Rudisill's car while it was parked at the home of Charles William McNair, of 5368 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg.

At 12:30 a.m., a fire was reported at Rudisill's mobile home, police said. Firefighters from the Franklin Fire Co. found the door unlocked, police said.

The state police fire marshal determined the fire was deliberately set, according to the report.

Michael Rudisill's preliminary hearing on the arson charge is scheduled for Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. in Carter's office.

|

|

|