HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — A man who US authorities say scaled an iron security fence early Sunday morning, eluded police, and broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion where he set a fire told police he had planned to beat Governor Josh Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents.

Cody Balmer had walked an hour from his home to the governor’s residence, and during a police interview, “Balmer admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit, but it did not explain why. Balmer faces charges including attempted homicide, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault, authorities said.

State police said on Monday that Balmer is in police custody at a hospital, where he is being treated after a medical event that is “not connected to this incident or his arrest.”

The fire caused significant damage and forced Shapiro, his family, and guests to evacuate the building early Sunday.

Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover at the residence on Saturday and were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They fled and firefighters extinguished the fire, officials said. No one was injured.

At a Sunday evening news conference in front of the badly damaged south wing of the governor’s residence, Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris identified the man in custody as Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg.

Authorities said Balmer was transported to Dauphin County Prison, but they did not say whether he has a lawyer. Calls to people believed to be relatives went unanswered or unreturned Sunday. One recent listed residence in Harrisburg was condemned in 2022.

Paris emphasized that........

© The Times of Israel