Cops: Manville, NJ house fire in May was started by borough resident
MANVILLE — A borough resident has been charged with setting fire to a home in May.
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office announced on Tuesday that Paul Basta, 25, was arrested at his home on Aug. 16 and charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated arson.
At approximately 3:43 a.m. on May 15, Manville officers responded to a 911 call about a residential fire in the borough. Members of the local fire department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.
An investigation into the origin of the fire revealed that Basta intentionally set it, according to officials.
Anyone with information related to the fire is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Manville Police Department at 908-725-1900.
Basta is lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing in the case.
The prosecutor's office would not share the location of the residential fire but noted that it was not the defendant's own home.
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