Man charged in Center Twp. for trying to light woman on fire at hotel

Garret Roberts, Beaver County Times
·2 min read

CENTER TWP. – A Lawrence County man was charged Tuesday after being accused of trying to light a woman on fire inside a local hotel.

Police arrested 39-year-old Keenan Murray, of Enon Valley, at the Center Township Hilton Garden Inn after first responders received a call reporting he was attempting to set a woman on fire around 2:20 a.m.

According to police reports, the incident occurred after the woman called 911 and let them know that Kennan Murray, of Enron Valley, was attempting to light her on fire.
According to police reports, the incident occurred after the woman called 911 and let them know that Kennan Murray, of Enron Valley, was attempting to light her on fire.

According to police, officers arrived as Murray was holding the woman to the ground outside the hotel. When officers ordered Murray to release the woman, he refused to follow commands and attempted to leave the scene. He continued to resist arrest, police said, prompting officers to use physical force to subdue Murray.

During the investigation, the woman told police Murray rented a hotel room with her around midnight. After entering the room, she said he started acting "strange" and began to light towels on fire, tossing them into the hallway of the hotel. As she attempted to leave, Murray followed her to her car and entered the passenger seat.

Inside the woman's car, Murray became aggressive and began to pour whiskey over the victim. He then pulled out a lighter, attempting to light the woman and her belongings inside the vehicle on fire. According to the victim, she was able to escape the vehicle, but Murray chased her and forced her to the ground, attempting to light her jacket and hair on fire just before police arrived.

The front of Center Township’s Hilton Garden Inn, located at 2000 Wagner Road.
The front of Center Township’s Hilton Garden Inn, located at 2000 Wagner Road.

The incident damaged Hilton Garden Inn property, with officers reporting "heavy smoke" inside Murray's room caused by the burning bed sheets and mattress. Murray also lit a fire inside a trashcan in the lobby's public restroom, police said, which prompted a hotel evacuation. The smoke activated the building's sprinkler system, which officers said caused flooding in the lobby.

Murray faces several felony charges, including arson, risking catastrophe, intentional damage to property and aggravated assault. He faces additional misdemeanor charges for reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and making terroristic threats.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Lawrence County man arrested in Center Township for trying to light woman on fire