State police charged Douglas F. Novak, 40, with homicide Monday in his elderly father’s December death.

Novak has been held at the Westmoreland County Prison since Dec. 21 on arson charges stemming from a fire at the Hempfield home where they lived.

Arrest papers were not available Monday morning because Novak had not been arraigned. A ruling on the cause and manner of death from the county coroner’s office for Frank Novak, 92, is still pending.

Novak was a World War II veteran who was well-liked by his Courtview Drive neighbors. He was found dead inside his home Dec. 20.

The younger Novak was arrested hours after on arson and related charges and jailed on $500,000.

Firefighters were called to the home near Hannastown Golf Club around 9:15 p.m.

A neighbor, who also is a firefighter, told investigators that he ran to the house and tried to alert the residents. When the neighbor looked through a glass front door, he saw a man inside facing a burning staircase. Another witness told police he saw the younger Novak at the home about 45 minutes prior to the fire being reported.

A state police fire marshal said the fire was started in the living and dining rooms and didn’t spread to the elder Novak’s bedroom because the door was closed, police said in a criminal complaint.

Douglas Novak was found early Friday at the intersection of Roseytown Road and Route 119 and admitted to setting two fires, police reported. His mother was not home at the time.

Douglas Novak has no criminal history in Pennsylvania, according to online court records. Police said he lived at his father’s home but court paperwork showed a Concord Avenue address listed for him.

Attorney Brian Aston is representing him in the arson case. A Jan. 15 preliminary hearing is set.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---