North Idaho sports bar owner arrested in fire
Thursday, September 6, 2007 10:08 AM PDT
POST FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A north Idaho sports bar owner has been arrested and charged with arson in a fire that destroyed a rival pub and a sports memorabilia collection in this town east of Spokane, Wash.
A burned pair of tennis shoes and surveillance videotape were key clues in the arrest on Wednesday of Richard E. Hanlon, 50, owner of Paddy’s Sports Bar in Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene, police said.
Bail was set at $750,000 on Hanlon, who is charged with first-degree arson and burglary in the blaze that destroyed Capone’s Pub and Grill on July 25. Arson carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Lost in the fire was an extensive collection of baseball memorabilia, including about 100 old mitts, baseballs, bats, bobblehead dolls and autographed photos of players, co-owner Teresa Capone said.
She said much of the memorabilia was from Don Larsen of Hayden, who pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees in the 1956 World Series.
Hanlon has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, police Lt. Scot Haug said.
Tom Capone, who like Hanlon also owns a sports bar in Coeur d’Alene, said he was relieved by the arrest. His other bar was not torched.
‘‘I’m ecstatic. I haven’t slept well since the fire,’’ Capone said.
Immediately after the fire, workers and customers at Hanlon’s bar told investigators he had burns on his legs, but ‘‘his original claim was that he received the burns changing cooking oil,’’ police Lt. Greg McLean said.
Hanlon had second- to third-degree burns on his ankles but never sought medical treatment, McLean said.
A pair of oil-soaked pants was seized by police in a search of Hanlon’s home in mid-August, and although the oil has yet to be tested the pants smelled like french fries, McLean added.
He said burned Nike running shoes that were found at the scene were sent for DNA testing but would not disclose the results or say whether they were the same size and type of shoes worn by Hanlon.
Capone, who said he hopes to reopen in Post Falls by February, described Hanlon as cordial on the couple of occasions when they met.
There was no personal animosity, but with the business rivalry ‘‘he had a motive,’’ Capone said. ‘‘I guess he thought he was going to get our business.’’
