September 20, 2024
Philadelphia Police/YouTube
Jason Mattis, 51, was found guilty of throwing a firebomb at a property on the 4900 block of Wellington Street in the Tacony neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia on June 30, 2022. The incident was captured on surveillance video.
A man caught on video throwing a firebomb at a home in Northeast Philadelphia two years ago, causing flames to erupt on the landing and street out front, was found guilty in his federal trial Thursday, authorities said.
Jason Mattis, 51, had been charged with using incendiary devices to target multiple properties in Tacony in late June and early July of 2022. The firebombs, similar to Molotov cocktails, were made by filling bottles with a flammable liquid and then attaching a fuse, prosecutors said. The fuel inside creates a fireball that can lead to quickly spreading flames after a bottle breaks on impact.
MORE: Family of Amanda Cahill, who died in a Philly jail, is still searching for answers
Around 3:50 a.m. on June 30, police said Mattis first threw one of the devices at a home on the 6900 block of Hegerman Street. He then threw two more devices at another home on the 4900 block of Wellington Street, less than a mile away. Philadelphia police captured the second incident on surveillance video. Mattis is seen stopping his car outside the property and tossing two lit devices at the front landing, which catches fire.
The next night, investigators said Mattis did the same thing at a home on the 7100 block of Keystone Street.
No injuries were reported in any of the incidents and prosecutors did not provide a motive.
Mattis was initially charged with three counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device. At his jury trial, he was convicted on one of those counts.
Mattis faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of probation and a $250,000 fine.
