Cody Balmer's mom informed police of his ‘irritable’ behavior days before arson at Gov. Mansion
HARRISBURG, Pa. - New details are unfolding regarding the mental state of Cody Balmer, the 38-year-old man accused of setting the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg on fire.
Police have released information after the suspect's mom called them days before the incident.
What we know:
On Thursday, April 10, Cody Balmer's mother, Christie Balmer, called Penbrook police out of concern for her son's well-being after he left the house. Christie told police she did not know where he went. She also told them that she believed Cody had stopped taking his medications a year ago, describing his behavior as "irritable and agitated".
Christie told officers that she had called Crisis Intervention on Sunday, April 6,
However, because Balmer did not make threats to himself or others, they said it did not meet the threshold for an involuntary mental health evaluation.
Christie explained to officers that her son was upset that she called Crisis Intervention.
After further investigation, officers were led to a hotel in Shippensburg where Balmer had been staying.
The front desk clerk at the hotel informed officers that Cody had checked out earlier in the day and "appeared fine".
His mom also let police know that Cody had "run off" to various states in the past.
She also said that Cody’s brother Daniel was not concerned about his well-being.
According to police, individuals may only be involuntarily committed when they are:
- Presenting a clear and present danger to others
- Unable to self-care
- Attempting suicide or expressing suicidal or homicidal ideations
- Self-mutilating
"A 302 can occur without a warrant in a situation where a person’s observed behavior requires an emergency involuntary commitment. For this to happen, a physician or peace officer must personally observe an individual behaving in a way that constitutes belief that they are mentally disabled and need immediate treatment. The police cannot petition a 302 based upon hearsay. The conduct must be personally observed," Penbrook police included in the press release.
Dig deeper:
Court documents revealed Balmer told police he planned to beat Governor Shapiro with a "small sledgehammer" if he encountered him.
Who is Cody Balmer? Everything we know about the man accused of arson at Governor Shapiro's home
New details have emerged regarding the suspect accused of setting Governor Josh Shapiro's home on fire Sunday.
While at The Dauphin County Magisterial District Court Monday, Balmer denied claims from his family that he suffered from mental illness. He also told police he was "harboring hatred" toward Governor Shapiro.
A Harrisburg judge denied bail for the 38-year-old.
The Source: The information in this story is from the Penbrook Borough Police Department.