A manhunt is underway for a Des Moines man after he allegedly set fire to his house on Monday — with two people inside. Just before noon on Labor Day, firefighters were called to a home in Des Moines and found two people suffering from burns — 21-year-old resident Allison Andrews and a friend, 37-year-old Thomas Yarges.
Andrews told police she’d been in an argument with her live-in boyfriend, 41-year-old Mark Swatta, and called Yarges to try and cool things down.
Yarges and Swatta talked and Yarges went to leave, when Swatta allegedly brought a gasoline can inside and soon the place was ablaze. Swatta fled the scene and is wanted on arson charges, in addition to an outstanding drug warrant.