Judge orders evaluation for man charged in rowhome firebombing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A man accused of firebombing a Philadelphia rowhome appeared before a federal judge Monday. Three Temple University students and the owner were asleep at the time of the fire, luckily all escaped without getting hurt.
The owner and one of the residents of the rowhome were in the courtroom Monday. He didn't want to speak on camera but says he's still traumatized by hearing the glass shattering, waking up to find his curtain on fire, then screaming at his tenants to evacuate the building.
The suspect's mother was also inside the courtroom.
Valerie Piner broke down in tears as she saw her son walk into a federal courtroom in handcuffs. Her son, 35-year-old Kyle Halls, is accused of destroying a rowhome on Cleveland Street with a firebomb.
"It is terribly hard. It's heartbreaking," Piner said.
Police say surveillance video from Nov. 15 shows the suspect lighting a bottle of gasoline on fire, hurling a brick through the window, then throwing the flaming bottle into the rowhome as Temple students were sleeping inside.
"I think someone might have angered him or what he thought might have been a situation to retaliate in anger," Piner said.
No one was hurt in the fire, but three Temple students and a recent Owls graduate lost their homes.
"I did apologize and I do feel empathy for the people that went through what they went through in this situation that my son performed," Piner said.
On Monday, a judge ordered a competency evaluation to find out if Halls has the capacity to understand what's going on in court.
Piner says her son has had mental health challenges for most of his life.
"Because of the schizophrenia and paranoia that he endures, he's been on the street," Piner said. "He has been hurt on the street and he's not taking his medication, no."
She says she wants local, state and federal lawmakers to put more effort into helping people who are sick.
"So again, mental health, it's important. And we do need to address this because this could be anybody's son, you know, not just me. It's something that I'm going through right now, but I'm here to advocate because I love my son," Piner said.
Halls is currently locked up at the federal detention center. He'll be moved to another facility to have the competency evaluation, which has to take place within 30 days of his arrival.
