Chilling note left by dad who allegedly blew up home with his girlfriend and 3 kids inside

A haunting message allegedly left by a father accused of deliberately blowing up his own home while his girlfriend and their three young children were inside has now been revealed.

Jacob Rabb was taken into custody on Monday (March 9) and charged with 25 counts, including attempted homicide, aggravated arson, and criminal mischief in connection with the April 22, 2022, explosion at a home in Plum, Pennsylvania.

At the time of the explosion, the 41-year-old, his then-girlfriend Laura Petty, and their three sons, aged 11, six, and two, were all inside the house but managed to escape.

Petty initially believed Rabb had saved the family from disaster, even calling him a hero who had rescued them from their "worst nightmare".

"If it wasn’t for Jake, we wouldn’t have made it out," she reportedly told police at the time, cited by the New York Post.

But more than a year later, after filing for a protection-from-abuse order against him in May 2023, she allegedly discovered disturbing handwritten notes hidden in her kitchen cabinets.

According to investigators, one message read: "If I can’t have her no one will or my kids see you all in hell," Penn Live reported. Another line in the note added: "P.S. I blew up the house."

Authorities say Rabb later broke into Petty's home on June 10, 2023, and allegedly held a knife to her throat while threatening to kill her.

"Let’s play a little game," he said before slicing his arm and threatening to provoke police to shoot him, according to the affidavit.

Investigators Say Gas Line Was Intentionally Manipulated

Police allege Rabb caused the explosion by disconnecting the gas line to the dryer, allowing gas to flow freely through the house before the blast.

During questioning related to the later break-in, he allegedly admitted he "disconnected the gas valve" from his ex’s dryer and turned on the gas, per PEOPLE.

He denied starting the 2022 explosion itself, telling investigators he wrote the confession note because he was suicidal. However, investigators say he admitted responsibility to at least two other people, including his father.

"Dad, I blew up the house," Rabb’s father told investigators, his son said, according to court documents.

A supervisor at a sober living home where Rabb stayed in November 2025 also told police that Rabb said he had planned to kill himself, his ex-girlfriend, and their children after having a final meal at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Family Narrowly Escaped Deadly Blast

Police found the home engulfed in flames around 11:30PM on the night of the explosion, with windows blown out and the garage door thrown into the street. Two neighboring homes also suffered thousands of dollars in damage.

Rabb and Petty told investigators they had been asleep when the ceiling suddenly collapsed on them.

Their oldest son, who had been in the basement playing video games, said he smelled gas before the blast and suffered first-degree burns while escaping. "It's amazing they survived this incident," Holiday Park Fire Department Chief James Sim said.

Per CBS News, Lou Bellisario, a neighbor, said people in the community finally have some closure: "We are surprised only because we didn't know for the longest time what had caused the explosion.

"We had some contact with some of the arson investigators, and nobody knew what happened, so it definitely is a surprise to us," they added.

Rabb is being held at the Allegheny County Prison without bail because authorities believe he "poses a threat to [the] victim, witness or the community."

It is unclear whether he has entered a plea. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 18.

Featured image credit: Simonkr / Getty