PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh company is blamed for a fire that damaged a restaurant and allegedly started when an unhoused man allowed to live on the premises dropped a cigarette on a sleeping bag.
El Burro Inc. and Wes De Renouard recently filed a lawsuit against Richard Fest and P.G. Kilroy, LLC, doing business as Nana’s New York Hot Dog Shop, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
The plaintiffs allege that a fire caused by Ronald Taylor, an unhoused individual also known as "Tomato" and permitted to stay on the defendants' premises, resulted in significant damages to their property and business operations.
The fire allegedly started when Taylor dropped a lit cigarette onto a sleeping bag on the second-floor back porch of the defendants' building.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for damages estimated at over $1 million. Anthony Mengine is their lawyer.