Main Line Doctor Charged With Arson, Attempted Murder: What We Know

NARBERTH, PA — Authorities in Lower Merion Township Monday announced a local healthcare professional was being held on $5 million bail after being charged with attempted murder, arson, and a slew of other crimes.

Dr. Amy Lauren Cohen, 35, of Narberth, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, terroristic threats, arson, risking catastrophe, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, stalking, ethnic intimidation, and more.

Lower Merion Police would not say where Cohen was employed, but a page on the Bryn Mawr Specialists Associates website listing Amy L. Cohen, D.O., as a staff member was removed from the website Monday.

Patch has reached out to Bryn Mawr Specialists, Main Line Health, and Cohen's attorney for information and will update the story when additional details are made available.

Cohen is accused of threatening and intimidating several people, including an 99-year-old resident of Merion and her family members in Montgomery County and Philadelphia, police said.

A threatening flyer with antisemitic language was left at the victim's home in Merion on Nov. 24, Lower Merion Police said. The flyer made specific references to the victim's granddaughters, who do not live with the victim.

Law & Crime reports the flyers alleged the granddaughters were Islamophobic in that they expressed support for Israel on social media, as well as called them "idiots" and "sluts."

Police later learned that similar flyers were found at homes of the victim's family members in Montgomery County and Philadelphia.

About a week later on Nov. 30, Lower Merion Police reviewed footage from one of the victim's family members, which showed a woman setting a fire at the front door of the victim's Merion home at about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 30. Police said the woman was seen on video trying to grow the flames by spraying it with a flammable liquid.

The fire burned out without engulfing the porch and home.

Evidence collected at the scene helped investigators identify a suspect who previously dated a boyfriend of the victim's granddaughter, police said. Police said that suspect was Cohen.

Law & Crime reports the boyfriend dated Cohen for about six months but ended the relationship, leaving Cohen "very emotional," before dating the victim's granddaughter.

Search warrants were obtained for Cohen, her home, and her vehicle, then executed Friday. Police said the searches revealed evidence connecting Cohen to all these incidents.

Cohen was charged Friday and arraigned Saturday.