One of the most high profile crime stories of 2010 was revisited early this week when the State College Police Department charged Penn State graduate Mason Worley in connection with three cases of arson. The Centre Daily Times Lauren Boyer wrote the most complete report to date of the incidents and what led to Worley’s identification.

Update 10:10 am: StateCollege.com’s Adam Smeltz reports on the complaint filed against Worley. Worley was released Monday on $150,000 unsecured bond and now can either go to trial or plead guilty in the case.

The first incident on June 21 2010 involved a homemade bomb being set off in a SCPD patrol cruiser. According to the CDT, police found a package of 200 M-80 class firecrackers wrapped in paper and tape lying on the trunk of an unmarked police vehicle at the State College Municipal Building. In connection with that event, Worley has been charged with:

• Reckless Burning or Exploding
• Possessing Explosive/Incendiary Material
• Institutional Vandalism of an Educational Facility
• Criminal Mischief

He faces an identical charge sheet for a second arson on July 18 2010. The basic situation was the same– an arson on a police cruiser parked in the Allen St parking lot– but Worley changed his tactics this time. Boyer reported that police have said surveillance video showed him tossing a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid on the car.

Worley is also facing charges for an arson on July 22 2010 of the building that houses the local United States Marine Recruitment Office in which lighter fluid was squirted and lit through a mail slot.

On December 20, police met with Worley and his attorney Tim Fleming and admitted to all three arsons, according to the CDT. Check out Boyer’s article (one of her last for the paper) for the full story.