Man Enters Guilty Plea in Crawford County Church, Park Fires

A Crawford County man pleaded guilty Thursday to setting fires that destroyed an amusement park ballroom and damaged a church.

Nickolas Dean Pope, 20, of Hartstown is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7 after pleading guilty to two counts of arson in Crawford County Court.

Pope admitted setting fire to the 164-year-old Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church on Jan. 13, causing $180,000 in damage. He also set a Feb. 1 fire that destroyed the 99-year-old Dreamland Ballroom at Conneaut Lake Park, causing an estimated $1.5 million in damage.

Originally published by The Tribune-Review.

(c) 2008 Tribune-Review/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.