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Jamal Preston, 27, of Egg Harbor Township, admitted to aggravated arson in Lakewood, before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan on Thursday, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Additionally, Preston pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of unlawful possession of a weapon relating to a fight that occurred two days before the fire in Berkeley Township, the prosecutor said.
When he is sentenced on Feb. 25, the state is seeking a state prison sentence of seven years, Billhimer said.
On Aug. 22, 2020, Lakewood police responded to a report of a fire at a residence in Lakewood. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit- Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s K-9 Unit, determined that the fire had been intentionally set utilizing an ignitable liquid and an open flame, Billhimer said.
Further investigation determined that Preston allegedly set the fire while the residence was occupied by three individuals, the prosecutor said.
Preston fled the scene, but was arrested at a motel in Absecon by the U.S. Marshals Service on Aug. 31, 2020, Billhimer said
He has been held in the Ocean County Jail since the date of his apprehension.
On Aug. 20, 2020, Preston allegedly was involved in a fight with another individual in the Manitou Park section of Berkeley Township. When Officers from the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to the scene, Preston was found to be in possession of a knife, Billhimer said.
He was taken into custody, charged on a summons and released pending a future court date.
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