Owner of Jeannette row house where woman died in fire pleads not guilty to code violations

The owner of a Jeannette row house where an elderly woman died this month in a fire has pleaded not guilty to six fire and municipal code violations that could cost him up to $6,000 in fines.

Robert Struhala also hired attorney Greensburg attorney Bernard P. Matthews Jr. to represent him in the case, according to paperwork filed before District Judge Joseph DeMarchis.

The judge on Monday scheduled a summary trial on the citations for May 30.

Neither Struhala, who lives in Greensburg, nor Matthews could be reached for comment.

Investigators have not determined a cause of the April 9 fire or where it started.

Firefighters found Shirley Kocherhans, 87 , dead inside her apartment. Her granddaughter escaped the burning building by dropping from a second-story window. Eleven other people were left homeless.

Last week, state police released a video of a man seen on surveillance footage walking in an alley near South Seventh Street moments before the fire at six row houses was reported. State police wanted to identify the man for questioning, according to Trooper Stephen Limani.

Fire Chief Bill Frye said the rental units had no working smoke detectors and that Struhala was cited for violations of city ordinance that require biennial inspections, occupancy permits and registration of vacant properties.

The violations each carry fines ranging from $300 to $1,000.

Frye said no one should have been living in a block of row houses, which were last inspected in 2013, according to city records.

State police fire marshals and county detectives were still awaiting forensic test results before making a determination on the cause of the fire, police said.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.