Plum homeowner accused of trying to blow up his house with natural gas is jailed

A Plum man accused of trying to blow up his own home in a natural gas explosion in November is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

Neil Andrew Yetsko, 39, was arraigned Friday night by Braddock District Judge Scott H. Schricker, according to court records.

Plum police charged Yetsko on Dec. 5 with felony counts of attempted arson and causing or risking a catastrophe and a misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person. He was arrested on those charges Friday, court records state.

Yetsko was denied bond on the basis of being a danger to himself and the public, according to court records. He did not have an attorney listed.

His preliminary hearing before Plum District Judge Michael J. Doyle is scheduled for Jan. 8.

According to police, Yetsko left his home on Kathy Lynn Drive in Plum on Nov. 15, knowing there was a natural gas leak inside the house and leaving two candles burning, and then reported the leak to Peoples Gas the next morning while he was out of town.

After detecting the odor of gas, Peoples Gas crews shut off the gas and electric service to the house. They and firefighters forced their way inside before Yetsko returned, according to a criminal complaint.

Plum police began to investigate after Allegheny County Fire Marshal Don Brucker reported Yetsko’s suspicious behavior, the criminal complaint states.

After giving police different explanations for the cause of the leak and how he came to report it, Yetsko told police during a fourth interview Dec. 4 he yanked and slammed his stove around in a ‘“fit of rage” after hitting his hand on the stove, the complaint states.

Yetsko told police he heard the gas leaking, then sat on the floor for about an hour hoping that the house would explode with him in it before leaving, the complaint states.

Yetsko said he left the candles burning accidentally, the complaint states.

Yetsko told police he “snapped out” of whatever state of mind he was in the next morning, remembered his neighbors were home and reported the leak, the complaint states.