Chalmette man sets fire to rental home of his estranged wife after an argument; no one injured
John Schuster, booked with arson fire set in
Chalmette at the rental home of his estranged wife.
John Schuster, 47, set fire in the afternoon to the home at 3004 Pecan Drive, where he had been staying with his estranged wife, the sheriff said. No one was injured.
The parish Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire and has brought in the state Fire Marshal’s office to assist.
Neither the wife nor their children were at home when the fire started. The sheriff said she had left the residence in fear Tuesday morning after she woke up to find he had stolen her sport utility vehicle and left.
Sheriff Pohlmann said Schuster, who has a criminal history that includes arrests for robbery and receiving stolen property, had threatened the wife the night before that he would tie her up in the house and burn it to the ground.
Schuster, who was seen removing items from the house before it went up in flames, was arrested about 5:15 p.m. when sheriff’s deputies were called to a disturbance at the residence of a relative of Schuster’s wife on Nicosia Drive in eastern St. Bernard Parish.
Schuster was booked with arson, criminal damage of more than $50,000 to the house, theft of the sport utility vehicle and theft of items from the house. Several items were recovered at the time of the arrest.
Schuster is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison and has not had a bond set in his case.
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