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According to a Tuscola County press release, at approximately 9:25 a.m. Tuscola County Sheriff's Deputy Sergeant Scott Jones began an investigation involving Jason Allen, 32, of Unionville.

Evidence found in the Unionville home included the suspect being seen by a neighbor engaging in assaultive behavior, blood on bedding inside the home, positive tests the blood was human, as well as chlorine bleach being found inside residence and in surrounding areas. Allen failed to report to work on Aug. 2, and there was no contact with suspect after 9 a.m. on Aug. 2.

According to a press release, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 2, an Amber Alert was issued to help ensure the safety of the child.

The investigation continued in the Unionville home by the Michigan State Police Department's Crime Lab and the Tuscola County Sheriff's Department.

At 11 a.m. the DeWitt Township Police Department located the suspect's vehicle at a motel. Officers from that department with the assistance of the Bath Township Police and the Clinton County's Sheriff's Department apprehended the suspect and transported the child to a local hospital for evaluation and observed injuries.

"He is being charged with arson- preparation to burn down a house, one count of attempted arson on a dwelling and one count of malicious destruction of personal property," said Tuscola County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Reene.

According to Reene, the house was rigged to explode from a gas source turned on in the home.

Allen was arraigned in Tuscola County District Court on Friday, Aug. 3, to face those charges.

"We're reviewing and evaluating more charges," confirmed Reene.

Reene said his office is waiting for more information about the child before they press more charges.

"We have pictures coming here to see his condition," he said. "Then we'll decide what we'll do... we had the three charges to get started."

Allen remains in the Tuscola County Jail with a bond of $500,000/10 percent cash surety.

According to Code Amber, the alert system continues to make significant strides in expanding its Amber Alert notification network with the most widely recognized Amber Alert Ticker, with the addition of 56,000 this year, it is now displayed on over 330,000 websites and computers.

AMBER (America's Missing Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert came into effect in 1996 when a Texas nine-year old, Amber Hagerman, was kidnapped and brutally murdered. In April 2003, President Bush signed the Amber Alert legislation making it a national program. For more information on Amber Alert go to www.codeamber.org.

Allen is scheduled for his pre-preliminary exam on Friday, Aug. 10 and for his preliminary exam on Aug. 17.