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Jason D. Malles, 28, of Stonecreek Road, was charged this week with arson and risking a catastrophe for allegedly setting fire to the home on Nov. 26, 2008.
The fire caused $50,000 worth of damage to the two-story home in the 200 block of Pine Bridge Road, Manor Township police Detective Michael Phenneger said Thursday.
No one was home at the time of the fire and no one was injured, Phenneger said. A neighbor discovered the blaze and called for help.
Two dogs locked in the garage were rescued by firefighters, he said.
A state police fire marshal determined the fire had been deliberately set.
Detectives learned that Malles and his girlfriend had been arguing days before the fire, but the suspect could not be found after the incident.
However, about the same time as the fire, Manor Township police said a car was stolen from Temple Avenue, about two miles from the fire scene.
The car's owner, Lorraine Dunkle, told police her 2006 white Ford Mustang was stolen from the driveway of her home shortly after 7 p.m.
Some of Dunkle's belongings were later found along Rawlinsville Road, police said.
Everything, police said, but her credit cards.
Two days later, Malles was arrested in Virginia after police were called to a motel where he was staying after he refused to leave.
That's when police discovered Malles had been using the stolen credit cards, Phenneger said.
Malles was charged and returned to Pennsylvania where he pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the car theft.
The car, however, had been stolen from Malles, but was later recovered in another Virginia town in February 2009, Phenneger said.
Malles eventually was sentenced to time served to 23 months in county prison, police said, and was released last spring.
Last month, Phenneger said, he crossed paths with Malles again when police were called to a reported domestic dispute along Centerville Road.
Malles was charged with simple assault for allegedly hitting the same girlfriend during a domestic dispute and was committed to county prison.
In the meantime, Phenneger obtained enough evidence to file the additional charges of arson and risking a catastrophe.
Phenneger credited the assistance of the Pennsylvania and Delaware state police fire marshals, as well as the county district attorney's office.
