Law-enforcement officers were searching for the ex-boyfriend of a 17-year-old Renton girl who was found stabbed to death in her house Friday, shortly after firefighters found smoke pouring from a second-story window.

Jarod T. Lane, 19, is wanted for questioning in the homicide and suspected arson, police said. He has not been charged with the crimes.

Lane and the girl, whose identity was not released, had broken up May 16, according to three girls who attended Lindbergh High School with her. On Lane's Facebook page, he wrote of her that he had "fallen for a girl," "wouldn't want it any other way for the rest of my life" and "wanna be with her ... ."

Lane stopped at a North Bend gas station sometime Friday morning, according to Renton police, who said he might be driving a green 2001 Mazda Protégé, with Washington license plate 077-YRD.

The girl's father, who was not at home at the time of the attack and asked not to be identified because relatives were still being notified of her death, said Friday, "She was a model student. Anything you could ever ask for out of a daughter, I got. She was our life."

He said he spent the morning talking to police and notifying relatives, adding: "I want to crawl in a corner and hide."

Of the person who killed his daughter, he said, "I hope he goes to prison for life."

According to a law-enforcement source, the girl's parents left the house and a neighbor saw someone described as a boyfriend go inside.

The neighbor then saw that person leave, followed by flames coming from the house, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Firefighters responded at 7:54 a.m. to the two-story house in the 12700 block of Southeast 164th Street in Renton, where smoke was coming from the upper floor.

Deputy Fire Chief Erik Wallgren said firefighters found the body two minutes after they put out a fire in a couch and ottoman on the second floor. The girl's body was found elsewhere on the same floor, Wallgren said. The law-enforcement source said firefighters discovered she had been stabbed.

The fire appeared to be arson, police said.

A neighbor, who asked not to be named, said firefighters brought the girl's body out of the house and tried to resuscitate her with chest compressions.

"They worked really hard, and then the white sheet came out," he said.

The neighbor said the girl was a "really sweet kid," who brought cookies to his house last Halloween.

The girl's parents arrived a half-hour later, he said, recalling that the family has lived in the house for 15 years.

Wallgren said firefighters rescued a dog they found inside.

Lane was believed by police to have headed east from the North Bend gas station. He was described as 5 foot 9, 152 pounds, with brown eyes and brown or black hair.

Police warned that Lane should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call 911 immediately, police said. Anyone with information about the slaying or fire is asked to call Renton police at 425-430-7500.

Lane attended Renton Technical College until the spring of 2011, a spokeswoman said. He described himself on his Facebook page as loving soccer and work.

Lane also appears to have been the subject of a sexual-assault civil-protection order in 2009 involving a different girl. A King County judge barred him from attending Hazen High School in Renton, acting on a complaint of the mother of a then-15-year-old girl who told the court her daughter had been severely traumatized after Lane pushed her against a wall at school and put his hand on her genitals.

The judge also ordered Lane to stay 500 feet away from the school and girl's home.

The three girls who attended Lindbergh with the stabbing victim, who stopped outside her house Friday and declined to identify themselves because the school instructed students not to talk, said Lane and the girl had attended the Lindbergh prom last year.

Lane seemed upset since the recent breakup, one of the classmates said, although he had written on his Facebook page that he was now "single" and could cope with the split.

"I will see you again one day," Lane wrote of the girl, with a smiley face, the classmate said.

Students at Lindbergh met with counselors in the library after learning of the slaying; many were crying in the hallways, the classmates said.

Another girl, who has known the victim for years, said, "She would always have a smile on her face, no matter what. You could never tell if anything was wrong."

She said over the last week or so Lane was parked outside the school almost every day in his green car.

Seattle Times news researchers Miyoko Wolf and David Turim contributed to this story, which includes information from The Associated Press.

Steve Miletich: 206-464-3302 or smiletich@seattletimes.com