Police: Harmar man threatens to set mother ablaze, tries to get gas from garage

A Harmar man was arrested after his parents gave police a video that showed him threatening to douse his mother with gasoline, light her on fire, and set the family’s house and vehicles ablaze, according to authorities.

Randolph Gregory Schmotzer, 39, of the 100 block of Acme Avenue was charged with a felony count of making terroristic threats along with misdemeanor counts of harassment, making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

Schmotzer was being detained in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 cash bond. He is awaiting a preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge David Sosovicka, according to court records.

Police wrote in a criminal complaint that Schmotzer’s father had two flat tires when he came to the police station shortly after 6 p.m. on Sept. 22 and reported that he fled his home in fear of his son, who came out of the house with a butcher knife as the father was leaving.

The man turned over a 4- to 5-minute video recording during which Schmotzer threatened to light their home and vehicles on fire, the complaint said.

Schmotzer is accused of threatening to burn his mother five times during the video, including one instance in which he said, “I’m literally going to douse you in gas and light you on fire,” according to the complaint.

The man told police that he had placed a padlock on the garage to prevent his son from getting to the gasoline cans.

Officers who went to the house found Schmotzer inside the house at the rear door trying to lock his mother out of the home, the complaint said.

Police arrested Schmotzer after his mother told them that he kicked the garage door in to get the gasoline cans stored there, police said.

Officers said the door to the garage was heavily damaged when they arrived on scene.