CLEARFIELD – A DuBois woman accused of trying to ignite a fire at a Sheetz store was sentenced to state prison at her own request Friday in Clearfield County Court.
Andrea Joyce Snedden, 50, 214 Dixon Ave., DuBois, an inmate of the jail, pleaded guilty to arson, risking a catastrophe, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and summary charges of public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief. Judge Paul Cherry sentenced her to nine months to three years in state prison.
Prior to sentencing her attorney, Curtis Irwin told the court that she was requesting a state prison sentence because she thinks she will get better mental health treatment there.
Snedden spoke on her own behalf apologizing to everyone. She explained that at that time, she was intoxicated and had no intention of causing anyone bodily harm because that is “not in my nature.” She stated that at state prison she could possibly get to the root of her problem so that she could return to the community as a “cured person.”
Cherry commented that because there were people around her at the pumps, this could have been worse. “I hope you get the help you are requesting,” Cherry said.
The charges stem from an incident Aug. 17 in DuBois at the Sheetz store on North Brady Street when she sprayed gasoline all over the parking lot and tried to light it with a cigarette.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the assistant manager explained to police that a woman later identified as Snedden came into the store with a lit cigarette and was blowing smoke in her face and in the direction of customers. Snedden was told she needed to leave the store because she was not allowed to smoke there.
Snedden paid for $5 worth of gas and left the store. She walked toward a vehicle parked at pump No. 3 and turned that pump on. After a couple of moments the employee noticed the vehicle leaving that pump. Snedden was still standing in the middle of the gas pump island with a lit cigarette.
The employee walked outside and asked Snedden if she got her gas. Snedden advised her she needed to turn on pump No. 6. The employee, believing Snedden was filling up a gas can, went back into the store and turned on pump No. 6.
Once she did this, she noticed Snedden walk around the pump with her lit cigarette. As the employee walked back out to see if Snedden needed any help, she saw Snedden use the nozzle on the pump to spray gasoline all over the ground while she continued to smoke her cigarette. The employee ran back inside the store and told other employees.
Another employee ran outside and saw the gasoline that now had a lit cigarette in it, pouring down the parking lot. At this point, Snedden no longer had a cigarette in her hand. The employee got fluid stoppers and kitty litter to prevent the gasoline from going any further into the lot. Snedden lit up another cigarette as she was standing right next to the spilled gasoline and the pumps.
The employee got her away from there and asked what she was doing. “See it isn’t real gas or it would have lit up,” she replied.
When police spoke with all of the employees involved, they were scared, shaken and nervous because they thought she was going to blow the store up.
A witness confirmed that Snedden poured the gasoline in the lot and then threw her cigarette into it.
The assistant manager said Snedden was lying on a stone wall behind the building. When police asked what she was doing lying on the wall, she replied “disturbing the peace.” She was smoking the same kind of cigarette the officer had seen in a puddle of gasoline in the parking lot.
As they talked with her they were able to detect an odor of alcohol and noticed she was slurring her words. They took her into custody.
She admitted that she poured the gasoline into the lot and put her cigarette into it. She stated she wanted to prove it would not light on fire.