A Man's Struggle with Mental Health Leads to a Shocking Act

A man named Cody Balmer is now in serious trouble. He is accused of throwing a homemade firebomb at the Pennsylvania governor’s house. This event took place early in the morning on a Sunday. The governor and his family had to leave quickly. The house got badly damaged. People are curious about why he did it. Before this happened, Balmer's family tried to get help for him. They called the police and mental health services many times. They said Balmer was acting strangely. He was chewing on batteries and disappearing for days. His family was worried. They thought he needed help right away. But the officials said he did not meet the rules for forced treatment. They could not do anything. Balmer has a history of mental health problems. He was in the Army Reserves and worked as a mechanic. He has two children with his ex-girlfriend, Rosetta Welsh. She said Balmer had been getting worse for months. He stopped taking his medicine and was acting erratically. She called crisis lines and hospitals, but they said they could not help. The police got calls from Balmer’s family about his behavior. But since he had not threatened anyone, they could not detain him. Balmer’s mother called the crisis team, but he did not want to be put in a psychiatric facility. An officer even called a hotel where Balmer had stayed, but he had already left. On the day of the fire, Balmer called Welsh. He told her he had set the fire. He asked her to turn him in. Welsh was shocked. She said everyone had turned them away when they needed help. Balmer’s family is also shocked. They support the governor and do not understand why Balmer did this. Welsh believes Balmer’s actions were due to his mental health issues. She wishes authorities had done more to help him before the fire. She thinks if he had gotten the help he needed, this would not have happened. Balmer is now in prison. His family has not had contact with him since.