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Michael Gonsalves, 42, has been charged with arson, evading arrest, and multiple related counts, authorities said.
It happened around 4 a.m. on the 2200 block of Pine Road, according to police. Officers arrived to find the front porch "engulfed in flames" and saw a man throw an unknown object at the burning home, the release says.
As police approached, the man ran toward a parked Volkswagen sedan, but the driver sped off down Pine Road before the suspect reached the car, authorities said.
The suspect fled on foot through neighboring yards but was eventually caught and identified as Gonsalves, police said.
Officers at the scene put out the fire with an extinguisher, according to the release. The residents and their pets were safely evacuated but the front porch and doorway were damaged by the flames.
Gonsalves, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty to drug charges in 2022, court records show. His bail for the arson case was set at $50,077 and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 15.
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