December 20, 2022
Philadelphia Police/YouTube
Jason Mattis, 49, allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at three homes in the Tacony section of Northeast Philly over the summer. One incident along the 4900 block of Wellington Street was caught on video.
A man who allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at multiple homes in Northeast Philly, setting properties' porches on fire in the middle of the night last summer, now faces federal charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
Jason Mattis, 49, allegedly ignited and tossed the incendiary devices between June 30 and July 1, investigators said. A Molotov cocktail is a crude device made by filling a bottle with a flammable liquid and then attaching a fuse. With the fuse lit, the bottle is thrown and breaks on impact, and the fuel inside creates a fireball that can lead to quickly spreading flames.
On June 30, Mattis allegedly threw one of the homemade firebombs at a home in the 6900 block of Hagerman Street in Tacony. He threw two more devices at another home in the 4900 block of Wellington Street, less than a mile away. The second incident was captured on surveillance video and shared by Philadelphia police.
Police said Mattis approached the home on Wellington Street in his car at around 3:50 a.m. The first device he lit and threw at the property went out before anything caught fire, but the second device started a blaze on the front porch.
After throwing the Molotov cocktails, Mattis fled the scene, police said.
Mattis allegedly did the same thing the following night at a home along the 7100 block of Keystone Street, less than a mile away from the Wellington Street property.
There were no injuries reported in any of the incidents and prosecutors did not provide a suspected motive.
Mattis is charged with three counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device. He made an initial court appearance on Dec. 15 and remains in custody pending further action in federal court.
If convicted, Mattis faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, a three-year period of supervised release, a $750,000 fine and a $300 special assessment.
