A Peruvian man was served a fresh arrest warrant on Monday on suspicion of murdering two Brazilian sisters whose bodies were found following a fire in 2015 in their apartment in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi, police said.

Edgard Anthony La Rosa Vite, 34, was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of arson over the fire on Dec. 30, 2015.

He is suspected of having strangled his former girlfriend Kimberly Akemy Amarilha Maruyama, 27, and her 29-year-old sister Michelle before setting fire to the apartment in the city of Handa, but has remained silent, according to investigators.

On the day of the fire, the suspect was stopped by the police while driving the younger sister's car and found not to have a license. The police also discovered her two children, who escaped the fire, inside the car.

Investigative sources said La Rosa Vite had lived in the sisters' apartment until Kimberly Akemy ended their relationship several months before the fire. But he kept a key to the apartment and often visited his former girlfriend.

An almost empty 5-liter gasoline can was found in the kitchen and the door to the apartment was not locked when the fire started, the police said.

Prosecutors said Monday they will put on hold their decision on whether to proceed with the arson charge as the police investigation continues.

Before the arrest over arson earlier this month, the suspect had been detained at an immigration facility in Nagoya, facing deportation. He was sent to the facility after being released on parole from a jail where he had served time for driving without a license and other crimes including theft.