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Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and his family were forced to flee from the governor’s official residence early Sunday after an arson attack severely damaged the mansion.
The authorities arrested a man who they said had broken into the mansion in Harrisburg, Pa., and thrown objects into the home that started at least two fires and caused significant damage. No one was injured in the attack.
The man, who they identified as Cody Balmer, 38, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, terrorism and other offenses. Law enforcement officials have not provided any information about a motive.
Here is what to know about the attack.
Governor Shapiro and his family were sleeping when the fire was set.
Mr. Shapiro said that he, his wife and children were awakened shortly after 2 a.m. by a state trooper who warned them of a fire. They were rushed to safety while firefighters extinguished the flames, he said. The F.B.I. was assisting in the investigation, he added.
Mr. Shapiro, a Democrat, rose to prominence last year when he was on the short list of possible running mates for Kamala Harris, the party’s nominee for president. He helped oversee the law enforcement response to the assassination attempt against Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pa., who was then campaigning for president.
The 51-year-old governor, who has said that there is too much vitriol in American politics, noted that the attack on the residence occurred shortly after his family and others members of the local Jewish community had celebrated the first night of Passover in the state dining room.
The suspect admitted starting the fire, officials said.
The authorities said surveillance footage showed a person checking out the governor’s mansion before scaling a fence and using a hammer to break a window on the south side of the residence. He threw an object into the house, igniting a fire, the Dauphin County District Attorney said in a statement.
He then broke into the building through a window on the east side and threw at least one more object into the house, starting another fire, before fleeing, the district attorney said.
Once state police became aware of a security breach on the property, they set out looking for an intruder, officials said. But within minutes, officials said, Mr. Balmer was able to break in, set the fires and escape.
He was arrested in Harrisburg on Sunday afternoon, officials said at a news conference. He admitted to state troopers that he had set the fires and was charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and related offenses, the district attorney’s office said.
According to an affidavit filed with the charges early on Monday, a woman contacted the police to tell them that Mr. Balmer, her ex-partner, had confessed to her that he had committed the attack. He later turned himself in at state police headquarters in Harrisburg, the affidavit said.
When state troopers questioned him and asked what he would have done if Mr. Shapiro had found him, Mr. Balmer said that he would have beaten the governor with his hammer, the affidavit said.
The governor’s residence suffered significant damage.
The fire caused significant damage to parts of the residence, particularly the dining and piano rooms, the authorities said.
Photos released by the authorities showed singed walls, broken windows and blackened floors.
The governor’s residence is a 29,000-square-foot Georgian-style building on the Susquehanna River that was completed in 1968, according to the state government. Its landscaped grounds occupy a full block about a mile and a half from the State Capitol complex.
The public is able to tour the residence, which exhibits art and artifacts on the first floor.
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