A 26-year-old man from Egg Harbor Township has been indicted on attempted murder and four counts of aggravated arson charges in connection to an incident in Ocean County last summer.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer says Jamal Preston intentionally set fire to a home in Lakewood on August 22nd while three people were inside.

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Authorities say an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office's Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad and other law enforcement agencies determined that the fire had been intentionally set, "utilizing an ignitable liquid and an open flame." Further investigation determined that Preston was the person responsible for starting the blaze.

Billhimer says Preston fled the scene but he was arrested at a motel in Absecon by the United States Marshals Service on August 31st. He has been held in the Ocean County Jail since his then.

Officials remind the public that charges are accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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