Man admits to setting fire to Clyde home

FREMONT – A man has admitted to setting his Clyde home on fire in an apparent suicide attempt in March.

Andrew Ruh, 24, pled guilty July 20 in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court to one felony count of arson.

His sentencing is at 2 p.m. Sept. 14. He initially was charged with one felony count each of arson and aggravated arson.

Authorities allege Ruh on March 7 used lighter fluid to set fire to the mattress in the only bedroom at the small home he rented at 221 Norris Drive.

He made a suicidal comment on Facebook about 45 minutes before a family member saw it and went to the home check on him, according to a Clyde police report. She then saw smoke and called police.

Ruh also texted a woman and told her he had set fire to the house, taken all of his medication and was saying good-bye, according to the report.

When the family member arrived at the home, Ruh was not there, according to the report. Police tracked him through his cell phone's global positioning system to Columbus, where he was arrested.