K9 Sniffs Out Arsonist Who Fled Maryland After Fires, Officials Say K9 Sniffs Out Arsonist Who Fled Maryland After Fires, Officials Say
K9 Sniffs Out Arsonist Who Fled Maryland After Fires, Officials Say A four-legged investigator is being credited with helping crack the case of a Maryland arsonist who torched a home and vehicle before fleeing the state, officials announced. Anne Arundel County Fire Department officials say an ATF ignitable liquid detection K9 named Jessie played a key role in determining that a fire in Glen Burnie was intentionally set—leading to the arrest and guilty plea of Ernesto Sifuentes. Crews responded to the 7800 block of Foxfarm Lane on October 14, 2023, after flames broke out in a home and vehicle, authorities said. Once the fire was extinguished, investigators …
Seance Sparks Blaze, Barricade, Arson Arrest In Maryland: Fire Marshal Seance Sparks Blaze, Barricade, Arson Arrest In Maryland: Fire Marshal
Seance Sparks Blaze, Barricade, Arson Arrest In Maryland: Fire Marshal A Maryland woman’s attempt to summon spirits may have backfired—literally—when she allegedly set her apartment on fire, then locked herself in a rental office, officials said. April Niesha Hough, 45, of Hagerstown, is facing arson charges after claiming she was performing a seance before the fire broke out at The Ridge Apartments on Garden Lane, according to investigators. Fire crews responded around 4 p.m. on Friday, March 14, after smoke started pouring from the three-story building. Tenants managed to escape after a fire alarm was activated. That’s when things got even weirder. Investi…
Content Creator Calling In Fake Fires For Clicks Back In Custody: Maryland Fire Marshal Content Creator Calling In Fake Fires For Clicks Back In Custody: Maryland Fire Marshal
Content Creator Calling In Fake Fires For Clicks Back In Custody: Maryland Fire Marshal A Maryland social media creator accused of setting fires and making fake 911 calls for content has been arrested again—this time in St. Mary’s County—just days after being released on home detention, officials said. Joshua Christian-Stanley Jackson, 21, of Prince Frederick, was taken into custody Wednesday, March 5, after investigators linked him to another arson case and a separate false 911 call, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. Jackson, who was initially arrested last week for allegedly setting fire to a vacant commercial building in Charles County, had been release…
Trucker Torches Tractor-Trailer Along I-68 In Maryland: Fire Marshal Trucker Torches Tractor-Trailer Along I-68 In Maryland: Fire Marshal
Trucker Torches Tractor-Trailer Along I-68 In Maryland: Fire Marshal A Baltimore County man is facing serious charges after investigators say he intentionally set his disabled semi-truck on fire along I-68 in Western Maryland. Robert Steven Silver, 42, of Cockeysville, was arrested Tuesday, March 4, with the help of Baltimore County Police after a months-long investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The incident happened on the night of Oct. 12, 2024, when firefighters from the Baltimore Pike Volunteer Fire Company responded to a burning tractor-trailer at the 50-mile marker of the interstate.  Crews arrived to find flames inside a 2012 V…
Apartment Arsonist Damaged Sprinkler At YMCA: Maryland Fire Marshal Apartment Arsonist Damaged Sprinkler At YMCA: Maryland Fire Marshal
Apartment Arsonist Damaged Sprinkler At YMCA: Maryland Fire Marshal A Maryland man already jailed for arson is facing new charges after investigators say he intentionally damaged a fire sprinkler at the YMCA where he was living, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Donald Lee Martin Jr., of Cumberland, was served a criminal summons at the Allegany County Detention Center, where he remains held without bond, the Maryland State Fire Marshal announced on Tuesday, March 4. The charges stem from an incident on Saturday, Feb. 15, when staff at the Cumberland YMCA reported that Martin deliberately damaged a fire sprinkler in a stairwell.  The vand…
'Social Media Hobbyist' Set Blaze, Made Fake 911 Calls For Content: Maryland Fire Marshal 'Social Media Hobbyist' Set Blaze, Made Fake 911 Calls For Content: Maryland Fire Marshal
'Social Media Hobbyist' Set Blaze, Made Fake 911 Calls For Content: Maryland Fire Marshal A Maryland social media "hobbyist" who films emergency responses for content was arrested for allegedly setting a building on fire and making false 911 calls to capture footage of firefighters in action, authorities said. Joshua Christian-Stanley Jackson, 21, of Prince Frederick, was taken into custody on Friday, Feb. 28, after investigators determined he was responsible for a vacant commercial building fire in Charles County, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. Fire crews responded to 12535 Crain Highway around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, after receiving a 911 call a…
Man Used Explosive Device To Destroy Mom's Car: Maryland Fire Marshal Man Used Explosive Device To Destroy Mom's Car: Maryland Fire Marshal
Man Used Explosive Device To Destroy Mom's Car: Maryland Fire Marshal A Maryland man is facing arson and explosives charges after investigators say he intentionally set his mother’s car on fire, causing damage to both the vehicle and a nearby home. Terry Lynn Ford Jr., 24, of Cumberland, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 28, following a months-long investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, authorities said. Fire crews responded to a 2005 Toyota Camry Solara engulfed in flames outside 883 Patterson Avenue around 8 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2024, officials said Investigators later determined the fire was deliberately set using an explosive device, causing an…
Stolen FedEx Truck Erupts In Flames Along Maryland Train Tracks: Fire Marshal Stolen FedEx Truck Erupts In Flames Along Maryland Train Tracks: Fire Marshal
Stolen FedEx Truck Erupts In Flames Along Maryland Train Tracks: Fire Marshal A stolen FedEx delivery truck was found engulfed in flames along railroad tracks in Cecil County, sparking a criminal investigation, officials said. The fiery discovery was made around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, near Red Toad Road and Bethel Church Road in North East, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. Authorities say a CSX train operator first spotted the abandoned commercial delivery truck, which had been stolen from the FedEx center in North East before being dumped and intentionally set on fire along the tracks. It took firefighters from the North East Volunteer …
Arsonist Sparks Maryland YMCA Blaze With 80 People Inside: Fire Marshal Arsonist Sparks Maryland YMCA Blaze With 80 People Inside: Fire Marshal
Arsonist Sparks Maryland YMCA Blaze With 80 People Inside: Fire Marshal A 63-year-old man is facing serious charges after allegedly setting fires inside a Maryland YMCA while more than 80 people were inside, authorities announced. Donald Lee Martin Jr. was arrested following an investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office into a fire reported around 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, at the YMCA located on Baltimore Avenue in Cumberland. Officials say tenants at the YMCA, which provides transitional services for families and shelter for unhoused individuals, quickly extinguished a fire that broke out in a third-floor apartment before it could spread.  …
Arsonist Behind Fiery Explosions During Maryland Robberies Faces Life In Prison: Feds Arsonist Behind Fiery Explosions During Maryland Robberies Faces Life In Prison: Feds
Arsonist Behind Fiery Explosions During Maryland Robberies Faces Life In Prison: Feds A Maryland man has been convicted of using explosives to set fire to 7-Eleven stores in a scheme to rob cash registers and steal from ATMs, federal prosecutors announced. After a five-day trial, a federal jury found Stephen Kennedy, 33, of Temple Hills, guilty of multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit arson, commercial robbery, and carrying an explosive device during a felony, authorities said. Investigators say Kennedy and his co-conspirator, Donnell Kelly, carried out a dangerous plan between January 2021 and January 2022, targeting 7-Eleven locations in Maryland while they were…
Woman Who Torched Estranged BF's Home Slapped With Arson Charge In Maryland: Officials Woman Who Torched Estranged BF's Home Slapped With Arson Charge In Maryland: Officials
Woman Who Torched Estranged BF's Home Slapped With Arson Charge In Maryland: Officials A Maryland woman is facing serious prison time after being indicted on arson charges for allegedly torching her estranged boyfriend’s home last October, authorities announced. Heather Lynn Hutcheson, 43, of Frostburg was arrested Tuesday, Jan. 28, after a months-long investigation concluded she was responsible for the blaze in Allegany County, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. Firefighters responded from the Shaft Fire Department and other nearby agencies responded to the home in the 11200 block o Upper Georges Creek Road in Frostburg around 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2024, …
'Itty Bitty Pieces:' Woman Threatens To Blow Maryland Churches Into Smithereens, Officials Say 'Itty Bitty Pieces:' Woman Threatens To Blow Maryland Churches Into Smithereens, Officials Say
'Itty Bitty Pieces:' Woman Threatens To Blow Maryland Churches Into Smithereens, Officials Say A Maryland woman is behind bars after a joint investigation revealed she made alarming online threats against multiple churches and their pastors in Washington County. On Sunday, Jan. 26, investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Hagerstown Fire Marshal's Office arrested Salamah Bassem Audi, 35, following a week-long investigation into threatening messages posted on an online blog. The threats targeted Gateway Experience Church in Williamsport, The City of God in Hagerstown, and their pastors.  In one post, Audi threatened to blow up a pastor “into itty bitty pie…