Police say a Northern Pennsylvania retiree accused of installing a fire alarm claims it went off as he walked past it

A North Penn High School senior has been charged with a felony by Towamenchin police for allegedly setting off a fire alarm at the school in September.

Kilmer Raul Reyes Amaya, 18, of Hatfield Village Apartments, 2058 Maple Ave., Hatfield, was charged with making a false alarm to a public safety agency, according to court documents.

On Sept. 23 at 11:49 a.m., police responded to an active fire alarm at the high school at 1340 Valley Forge Road, which required the evacuation of the entire school and the response of Towamencin Vol. Fire Co.

Police said school security told them they had video of the student, identified as Reyes Amaya, activating the alarm.

The video shows a man wearing a white shirt, blue sweatpants and white shoes in the hallway of the C-pod at 11:46 a.m., police said, identified as Reyes Amaya, next to an activated fire alarm. In the footage, police said Reyes Amaya walked into the stairwell entrance out of sight, then poked his head out several times before quickly walking out of sight and down the hall.

He turns a corner at the end of the hallway and disappears again, police said. When he leaves the camera’s view, teachers and students begin to leave their classrooms due to fire alarms, according to the complaint.

Police say video from a stairwell camera shows the defendant standing alone for several minutes before setting off the alarm.

Police spoke to Reyes Amaya at the security office, but he only spoke Spanish and a Spanish teacher was asked to help translate, according to the written statement.

Reyes Amaya told police he was in the area but did not touch the alarm, police said. When Reyes Amaya told police there was video of him standing next to the alarm when it went off, he told police he was eating lunch in the cafeteria before the alarm went off. He then walked past the alarm the moment it went off, he allegedly told police.

Reyes Amaya said he walked by the alarm and did not touch it, and there must have been something wrong with the alarm to set it off, according to the complaint.

A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 13 at 11:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Ed Levin.

All suspects and accused persons are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using open court records.