A suburban Philadelphia man was arrested by Altoona Police early Saturday morning for setting fires and lighting Molotov cocktails at the Railroaders Memorial Museum and McDonald’s along 9th Avenue. When police arrived on the scene they reportedly found 23-year-old Ian Jabateh throwing rocks at the windows of the museum. He was also seen at the Harry Bennett Memorial Roundhouse at the Railroaders Museum where he threw a Molotov cocktail at a rail car he doused in gasoline. Police credit a bystander who extinguished multiple small fires before they grew out of control. Police say Jabateh was taken into custody without incident and was found to be intoxicated. He is facing a felony charge of arson of historic resource, risking catastrophe, institutional vandalism, and other related counts. He has been placed in the Blair County Prison where bail has been set at $500,000. He faces a preliminary hearing on May 21st.
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