An Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted an Egg Harbor City man yesterday on charges of second-degree aggravated arson, third-degree arson and third- degree burglary, for allegedly setting fire on July 13, 2009 to an Egg Harbor City apartment building. The fire left four families displaced, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel announced today.
In the six-count indictment, it is alleged that Joseph Manzoni, 44, broke into the two ground-floor apartments in the four-unit apartment building next door to his Egg Harbor City residence at 507 Atlantic Avenue and purposely set the apartments on fire.
Assistant Prosecutor Curtis Baker, who presented the case to the Grand Jury, noted that a resident of the apartment building, who was home at the time the fires were set, was able to escape by placing a cloth over her face and running from the building.
Manzoni was arrested on May 27, 2010. The arrest was a result of an investigation by Egg Harbor City Detective Steven Hadley, Egg Harbor City Captain Rick Kramer and Prosecutor’s Office Detective Justin Furman.
Aggravated arson is a second-degree crime that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and up to $150,000 in fines.
