One man suffered \u201csignificant facial injuries\u201d after jumping from the second floor of the building, while one woman sustained serious injuries after passing out from smoke inhalation and falling onto a concrete sidewalk below, the LPD said. Both residents were sent to trauma centers.<\/p>\n
The Mifflin County Coroner\u2019s Office (MCCO) confirmed that 44-year-old resident Brandy Phillippe was found dead inside the home. She had \u201cattempted to flee the residence during the fire but was unable to escape,\u201d the MCCO said in a news release<\/a> shared on Facebook.<\/p>\n A woman died in a house fire in Lewiston, Pa., on May 6 The fire was later confirmed to be arson by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Fire Marshall, the LPD said. \u201cWhen officers arrived, several residents began making statements that the fire was an arson and there were people trapped inside the residence,\u201d authorities said.<\/p>\n Multiple witnesses identified Robert Zimmerman as a person of interest, claiming they saw him at the house before the fire. There, police said Zimmerman was “professing his love for a female who was living in the attic of the residence.”<\/p>\n \u201cIt was reported that Zimmerman became upset when he was rejected by the female, and he began setting several items on fire on the first floor of the residence,\u201d authorities claimed.<\/p>\n Witnesses also allegedly heard Zimmerman, 40, confess to starting the fire. They said they saw him \u201cstanding in a nearby alley watching the residence begin to burn.\u201d The LPD said surveillance images appear to confirm the sighting.<\/p>\n Emergency crews responding to o a house fire in Lewiston, Pa., on May 6 that killed one woman Zimmerman was later found smelling \u201cof ash and smoke,” police said. He was detained on an outstanding warrant in relation to the fire.<\/p>\n Police said Zimmerman admitted to taking fentanyl and \u201cdisplayed signs of overdosing from opioids.” He was sent to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital for evaluation and treatment and then transported to the LPD for questioning.<\/p>\n \u201cZimmerman claimed that he could not recall any details at the exact time the fire started, but was able to make several statements about events immediately before and after the fire started,\u201d said the LPD. \u201cZimmerman was informed that an occupant of the residence died as a result of the fire, and he had a strong emotional response to this.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter<\/a> for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.<\/p>\n The MCCO is investigating Phillippe’s death as a homicide. An autopsy to determine the cause of death took place on Saturday, May 9. PEOPLE reached out to the MCCO for an update on May 10.<\/p>\n Zimmerman is being held at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility. Charges, including arson, have been filed, the Lewistown Sentinel<\/a> reported, citing police.<\/p>\n PEOPLE has reached out to the LPD and PSP for further comment. It is not immediately clear if Zimmerman has legal representation to comment on his behalf.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2e2bf1e73f2c6aebdd6205333019dc89.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Courtesy of City Hook & Ladder #14 – Lewistown, PA\/Lewistown Police Department<\/p>\n![\"Emergency](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3d886968fe41f1584f7e5d0396ada7aa.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Courtesy of City Hook & Ladder #14 – Lewistown, PA\/Lewistown Police Department<\/p>\n