Lehighton man charged with arson

A Lehighton man has been charged with allegedly setting a home on fire following a domestic dispute.

According to the affidavit filed by trooper Mark Bower of the Pennsylvania State Police at Lehighton barracks:

At 12:11 a.m. Sunday, troopers were dispatched to a residence in the 1100 block of Fairyland Road for the report of a domestic dispute.

They interviewed the victim, who said she had been physically assaulted by her husband, Anthony Tatasciore, 36. She said he punched her in the head multiple times.

The victim said that Tatasciore also sat on her and refused to let her go, saying he was going to stay on her until she died.

The woman said that Tatasciore told her he was going to burn the house down and kill himself and her in the process.

She told police she wanted to have Tatasciore treated for mental illness. Troopers then took Tatasciore into custody and transported him to St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus, where he was released for further mental evaluation.

The victim went to the hospital and began the process to have Tatasciore committed involuntarily, but Tatasciore signed himself out of the hospital and walked back to his residence.

Around 3:30 a.m., troopers were advised that the Mental Health Involuntary Commitment had been approved. Police the woman from the hospital to her residence and attempted to serve the warrant on Tatasciore.

The victim granted the troopers access to the residence, and they found the home was filled with smoke.

Troopers saw a smoldering fire on the stove top that appeared to have been started with papers and a smoldering towel/blanket on the floor.

The troopers found Tatasciore lying on the floor in the downstairs bedroom, passed out or sleeping.

Troopers then advised Tatasciore of the fire and took him into the living room. He was advised of the warrant and immediately began to resist to the point that he had to be physically restrained.

Tatasciore continued to resist as troopers attempted to remove him from the residence and secure him in their patrol vehicle.

Tatasciore faces charges of arson and related offenses; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; resisting arrest or other law enforcement; and harassment.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail, 10 percent, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge William Kissner of Palmerton.