MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – A 37-year-old Magnolia man has been arrested after investigators allege he set a home on fire after getting into an argument with family members.
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The Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office says Firefighters responded to the home in the 200 block of Sundew Ct. just after 11 a.m. on Monday. They found the interior of the home had heavy fire, smoke and heat damage. They also determined the house had been intentionally set on fire.
Investigators were able to identify Justin Lee Stewart as the suspect. Stewart had allegedly started the fire after getting into an argument with family.
Stewart fled the scene after starting the fire and was initially believed to be headed out of the area with the intention to cause harm to other persons in the Victoria area. A statewide attempt to locate bulletin was sent out for Stewart.
Around 10 p.m. Monday night, DPS Troopers and deputies with the Kimble County Sheriff’s Office located Stewart’s vehicle at a roadside rest stop west of Junction, TX, some 330 miles from the house in Magnolia. Once Stewart spotted law enforcement he led them on a short vehicle chase before being taken into custody.
Stewart is currently being held at the Kimble County Jail. He will be returned to Montgomery County where he faces a 1st degree felony arson charge.