Altoona man pleads guilty to attempted homicide after house fire

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — An Altoona man has pleaded guilty to attempted homicide charges after starting a house fire in October 2021.

Daniel Sipes Jr., 28, of Altoona pleaded guilty to charges that include attempted homicide, aggravated arson and aggravated assault on Thursday, April 25. The charges stem from a house fire on Fifth Avenue in Oct. 2021 . He was sentenced to 11 to 25 years in the negotiated plea, according to defense attorney Thomas Dickey.

Sipes and Maria Frye were arrested after police found evidence that the fire was widely discussed between their friends and associates in a series of text messages, where police indicated drugs and infidelity were factors leading up to the blaze.

On the night of the fire, an Altoona Police officer noticed the rear wall of the back porch was on fire and knocked on the door to get everyone out. It took over an hour to get the fire under control. The property was a complete loss and total damages were estimated at $60,000. One firefighter was injured in the process.

Two women, a man and three young children were in the home during the fire. The Altoona Fire Inspector suspected it was set and sent evidence to be tested for accelerants.

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The case against his co-defendant Maria Frye is still pending.

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