By Associated Press - Friday, April 20, 2018

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities in upstate New York say a man who blew his house up in an attempted suicide will face criminal charges.

Buffalo Police Capt. Jeff Rinaldo says it appears the man allowed gas from the stove to fill his house and then lit a candle Thursday evening. The explosion leveled the man’s house and burned two neighboring homes. No one was injured.

On Friday, police identified the homeowner as 73-year-old Santo Cok and charged him with arson, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. Authorities say Cok was standing in the street immediately after the explosion.



He was taken to a Buffalo hospital for evaluation.

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