Pluss
MONTICELLO – The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Kenoza Lake man on a felony charge of arson for allegedly damaging a propane tank fuel line and igniting it.
The fire, on Saturday afternoon, September 29, damaged an eight-foot by 10-foot section of the exterior wall at the rear of the Sunoco Country Store at 5 Center Street in Jeffersonville. When Jeffersonville firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire was out, but the line was still leaking. A Good Samaritan had grabbed a fire extinguisher from inside the store to put the fire out.
An investigation by the Sullivan County Bureau of fire determined the tank line had been intentionally damaged and the leaking gas was intentionally ignited.
Sheriff Michael Schiff called the man who extinguished the flames, Craig
Lanese of Jeffersonville, a hero. “He held it down until the fire
department could get there and turn off the tanks. A major disaster was
averted,” Schiff said.
An investigation by sheriff’s detectives led to the arrest Friday, October 12, of Jacques Pluss, 65, on the arson charge. He was caught on video surveillance walking behind the building just before the incident.
Pluss was sent to the Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.
