Bell was able to make it to the courtroom before court concluded for the day, the warrant was revoked and sentencing was rescheduled for Wednesday, according to prosecutors.
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Howard sentenced Bell to five years probation and ordered him to make restitution for damage to the apartment. He faced up to 18 months in prison.
According to Middletown police, Bell got into an argument with his girlfriend, and she left around 3 a.m. on June 1. Less than two hours later, Bell used matches and ashes to start a fire in the apartment. Damages were estimated at $100,000.
The Middletown Fire Task Force investigated the fire, and after interviews, it arrested Bell near Franklin Twp. A 3-year-old girl living in the apartment wasn’t at home when the fire started.
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