An investigation into a series of Molotov cocktail incidents in Monroe County has resulted in the arrest of two suspects and a search for a third. The incidents involved the burning of a car at East Stroudsburg University and multiple Molotov cocktails thrown near a residential home.
On December 15, 2023, at approximately 5 a.m., police responded to a report of an arson attempt on Pine Knob Lane in Barrett Township. A woman reported hearing a loud bang and discovering a burning Molotov cocktail on her porch. She managed to kick it off and found another one in her driveway, which had not detonated. Authorities discovered a total of four undetonated Molotov cocktails at the scene.
The woman was home with her four young children and her 20-year-old daughter when the events transpired, indicating a clear intent to harm and prevent escape from the house.
Investigations led police to suspect Chapel Iliev, 20, who had prior interactions with the homeowner’s daughter. Iliev allegedly had a dispute over a stolen bottle of alcohol and had sent threatening messages regarding the incident. His threats included knowledge of the daughter’s whereabouts.
Additionally, on the same day, East Stroudsburg University police investigated a related car fire, where it appeared that three individuals smashed windows of a vehicle and threw a Molotov cocktail inside, igniting the car. This vehicle belonged to a friend of the homeowner’s daughter and had been wrongly targeted by the suspects.
The investigation revealed that Iliev, along with Isaiah Garcia and Traill Labar, was involved in filling a gas can and placing it in the trunk of a white Nissan sedan before abandoning the vehicle.
As the investigation progressed, forensic evidence, including latent fingerprints and DNA from the Molotov cocktails, connected Garcia to the incidents. Garcia and Labar were arrested with bail set at $250,000 each, while efforts continue to locate Iliev.
The Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department is actively pursuing leads and gathering evidence concerning these dangerous acts that put lives at risk.
For further details, please visit the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department’s news release.