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Arson Suspect Arrested in NYC After Hit-and-Run, Truck Held 52 Nitrous Oxide Canisters

He faces New York charges now, with extradition to Pennsylvania on felony arson counts expected.

Overview

  • NYPD detained Sean McDermott, 36, near Times Square late Wednesday after he fled a Midtown collision involving a U‑Haul.
  • Bomb squad and Emergency Services cleared the truck and reported 52 nitrous‑oxide canisters and a liquid accelerant inside.
  • Police charged McDermott with resisting arrest, obstruction, unauthorized use of a vehicle, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of noxious material.
  • Authorities say he set multiple fires in his Pocono Pines townhome while claiming he was trying to kill spiders, and the blaze spread to three attached units.
  • Volunteer firefighters battled the Pennsylvania blaze for roughly eight hours in freezing conditions after a multi-agency alert led New York officers to the suspect.