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Paul Basta, of June Place in Manville, was charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated arson, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said in a joint release.
Basta is accused of intentionally setting fire to a Manville home shortly before emergency crews responded around 3:40 a.m. on Monday, May 15.
The fire was extinguished by the Manville Fire Department with help from the Manville Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Fire Investigation Unit, which determined the cause and origin.
Basta was arrested at his home on Wednesday, August 16, and taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The Ocean County Fire Marshal’s office K-9 also assisted in the investigation, which remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100, the Manville Police Department at (908) 725-1900, or use the STOPit app.
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