New citation filed against owner of Jeannette row house where woman died in fire

April 25--Authorities filed an additional citation Wednesday against the owner of a Jeannette row house where an elderly woman in a fire this month after learning a new tenant was to get keys to the a vacant unit the same day the building burned.

Property owner Robert Struhala, of Greensburg, had not gotten an occupancy permit, had the unit inspected or registered the new tenant with city officials -- all of which are required by ordinance, said city fire Chief Bill Frye.

"He had signed a lease agreement," Frye said, adding that Struhala had moved utilities into the new tenant's name.

Struhala already faced six citations, which were filed the day after the South Seventh Street fire, for allegedly violating city ordinances that require biennial inspections and occupancy permits at rental properties and registration of a vacant property -- the one that was set to be rented.

"It was vacant more than 180 days," Frye said.

On Monday, Struhala pleaded not guilty to those citations. Summary trials are set for May 30, according to court records. Each violation carries a fine ranging from $300 to $1,000.

Struhala said he hadn't received information about the new citation on Wednesday and couldn't comment on it. As for the other six citations: "My attorney's handling all that," he said.

Attorney Bernard Matthews could not immediately be reached.

Investigators have not said what caused the fire or where it started.

Firefighters found Shirley Kocherhans, 87, dead inside her apartment. Her granddaughter escaped the burning building by dropping from a second-story window. She was hospitalized. Eleven other people were left homeless. Frye has said no one should have been living there.

The six-unit building had no working smoke detectors. The property was last inspected in 2013.

Frye said he believes Struhala's insurance company will handle demolition.

Last week, state police released a video of a man seen on surveillance footage walking in an alley near South Seventh Street moments before the fire was reported. State police wanted to identify the man for questioning.

State police fire marshals and county detectives are awaiting forensic test results on material from the building, police said.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374, [email protected] or via Twitter @byrenatta.

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