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Arson

Police & Fire
La Plata Man Busted Using Curious Methods In Effort To Set Home Ablaze With Others Inside: PD La Plata Man Busted Using Curious Methods In Effort To Set Home Ablaze With Others Inside: PD
La Plata Man Busted Using Curious Methods In Effort To Set Home Ablaze With Others Inside: PD A tense situation unfolded over the weekend in Charles County as La Plata police arrested a man accused of trying to set his home on fire with several people inside. Officers responded to the 600 block of Hemlock Court on Saturday, Dec. 7 at around 4:15 a.m. after a call taker overheard someone making arson threats during a 911 call, police said.  Upon arrival, officers learned the suspect, identified as Michael Darnel Lassiter, 59, was reportedly attempting to ignite a fire using the oven, stove burners, and cooking oil. According to a witness, Lassiter’s actions endangered the other…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Deputy Fire Chief In Maryland Accused Of Setting Blaze He Helped Extinguish Deputy Fire Chief In Maryland Accused Of Setting Blaze He Helped Extinguish
Deputy Fire Chief In Maryland Accused Of Setting Blaze He Helped Extinguish A Cecil County fire official has been arrested for allegedly setting a brushfire on the property of a local addiction treatment center, leaving a community stunned. Robert "Bobby" Bennett, 39, the deputy fire chief of Hacks Point Volunteer Fire Company, was taken into custody Tuesday morning after investigators identified him as the person allegedly responsible for a blaze earlier this month, according to the Maryland Fire Marshal. The incident occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 4 when a brushfire burned two acres of land on Grove Neck Road at the Recovery Centers of America’s property, officials sa…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Serial Arsonist Telling Tall Tales Admits To Setting Series Of Maryland Fires: State's Attorney Serial Arsonist Telling Tall Tales Admits To Setting Series Of Maryland Fires: State's Attorney
Serial Arsonist Telling Tall Tales Admits To Setting Series Of Maryland Fires: State's Attorney A firebug responsible for a series of arson incidents in Montgomery County has copped to the crime and faces up to 80 years in prison, according to the state's attorney's office. Fernando Herrera-Rivera, 24, pleaded guilty this week to four counts of second-degree arson in connection to multiple incidents reported in September 2023. Specifically, Herrera-Rivera admitted to lighting fires involving:  A vehicle along Russell Avenue; A Gaithersburg Police Department building on Fulks Corner; A beer and wine store in the 400 block of South Frederick Avenue; A market in the 400 block…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Arrested For Arson After Altercation Involving Maryland Neighbor: Fire Marshal Man Arrested For Arson After Altercation Involving Maryland Neighbor: Fire Marshal
Man Arrested For Arson After Altercation Involving Maryland Neighbor: Fire Marshal An argument over stolen property led to arson charges for a 30-year-old Maryland man who allegedly attempted to start a fire outside of a neighbor's home on Sunday afternoon. Lexington Park resident Cesar Augusto Gonzalez-Lopez was arrested at around noon on Monday afternoon when members of the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office were called to the 46000 block of Sue Drive to investigate a blaze, according to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal. Investigators say that a dispute over allegedly stolen property the previous night between Gonzalez-Lopez and the homeowner led to th…

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by Zak Failla
News
Maryland Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant Learns His Fate Maryland Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant Learns His Fate
Maryland Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant Learns His Fate The Maryland man who set an apartment on fire with an infant inside and killed his child's mother and grandmother in Southeast DC more than three years ago may spend the rest of his life in prison. Clinton resident Keenan Turner, 35, was sentenced to 68 years in prison in connection to the April 2021 murders of Wanda and Ebony Wright, the shooting of a third victim, and the attempted murder of an infant when he set the fire, federal authorities announced. Prosecutors say that Turner's intention in committing the offenses was "solely to avoid paying child support."  They had been pushi…

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by Zak Failla
News
Arsonist Convicted Of Killing Mother, Toddler In Charles County Townhome Over Housing Dispute Arsonist Convicted Of Killing Mother, Toddler In Charles County Townhome Over Housing Dispute
Arsonist Convicted Of Killing Mother, Toddler In Charles County Townhome Over Housing Dispute The Maryland man who burned down a home that resulted in the death of his girlfriend and her toddler daughter faces up to 140 years in prison, the Charles County State's Attorney's Office announced. Vincent Anthony Fisher, II, 49, has been convicted following a near two-week trial for his role in a fatal incident in March 2022 that resulted in the deaths of Rashawn Cline and Dashawn Cline. First responders in Charles County were called on March 31, 2022, to a townhome in Waldorf that was fully engulfed in flames with Fisher outside suffering from injuries that took place from an assault tha…

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by Zak Failla
News
Maryland Man Ditched GPS Monitor While Awaiting Trial For Assault, Arson Arrest, Sheriff Says Maryland Man Ditched GPS Monitor While Awaiting Trial For Assault, Arson Arrest, Sheriff Says
Maryland Man Ditched GPS Monitor While Awaiting Trial For Assault, Arson Arrest, Sheriff Says A Maryland man arrested for multiple assault offenses and for threatening arson in St. Mary's County has escaped, officials say. Markko Darvelle Morsell, 34, is wanted for escape after removing his electronic monitoring device and fleeing the area following his latest arrest.  At the the time, Morsell was on pretrial release for charges that include three counts of second-degree assault, theft of $100 to under $1,500, and making threats of arson. He was described as being 6-foot-3 weighing approximately 320 pounds.  Anyone with information regarding Morsell or his whereabouts ha…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Two Who Torched Maryland Home, Blocked Door With Mattress Accused Of Attempted Murder: State PD Two Who Torched Maryland Home, Blocked Door With Mattress Accused Of Attempted Murder: State PD
Two Who Torched Maryland Home, Blocked Door With Mattress Accused Of Attempted Murder: State PD Two Maryland men who tried to set a house on fire with people inside on the Eastern Shore were arrested this week after being caught red-handed with the fuel they used to set it, state police say. Lascelles David Beckford, 37, a Somerset County resident, and Dante Jamar Stone, 34, of Salisbury, went through great lengths in an attempt to torch the home of two people they were familiar with, according to officials. The incident was reported at around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13 in the 12000 block of Independence Court in Princess Anne. Investigators say that they believe Beckford and Ston…

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by Zak Failla
News
Maryland Man Murdered Ex-Girlfriend, Grandmother Of Child He Attempted To Kill In DC: Feds Maryland Man Murdered Ex-Girlfriend, Grandmother Of Child He Attempted To Kill In DC: Feds
Maryland Man Murdered Ex-Girlfriend, Grandmother Of Child He Attempted To Kill In DC: Feds A Maryland man who was found complicit in the deaths of two people in Southeast DC in April 2021 is facing a lifetime behind bars, federal authorities announced. On Friday, a DC Superior Court jury returned a guilty verdict against Clinton resident Keanan Turner, 34, in connection to the murders of Wanda and Ebony Wright in the 2300 block of Good Hope Court SE three years ago. Metropolitan Police Department Prosecutors say that Ebony Wright was in a relationship with Turner when she became pregnant.  Turner asked her to terminate the pregnancy, and when she declined, he st…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Minors Accused Of Molotov Cocktail Incidents In Maryland, Fire Marshal Says (UPDATED) Minors Accused Of Molotov Cocktail Incidents In Maryland, Fire Marshal Says (UPDATED)
Minors Accused Of Molotov Cocktail Incidents In Maryland, Fire Marshal Says (Updated) Two children have been identified as the pair wanted in connection to several incidents involving Molotov cocktails in Maryland, the fire marshal announced. Shortly after 3 a.m. on June 12, members of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office responded to four homes in the 1000 block of Tuscola Avenue and one in the 800 block of Oneida Avenue for reported incidents at each residence, officials say. The Fire Marshal was called in to assist with the investigation, and multiple Molotov cocktail-type destruct devices were placed at the front door of each home. Investigators were able to o…

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by Zak Failla
News
Amply-Armed Employee Threatened To Blow Up Maryland Vehicle Administration Building: Officials Amply-Armed Employee Threatened To Blow Up Maryland Vehicle Administration Building: Officials
Amply-Armed Employee Threatened To Blow Up Maryland Vehicle Administration Building: Officials A well-armed employee who threatened to blow up the Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA) building has been arrested and is facing multiple charges, according to the state fire marshal. Hagerstown resident Anthony Jacob Fritz, 38 - an employee of the MVA on Colonel Henry K. Douglas Drive - found himself in hot water with the police on Friday after allegedly making threats of mass violence.  Investigators say that on Friday morning, co-workers approached a Maryland State Police trooper to advise that Fritz claimed he was going to bomb their building. Following an investigation, the&nbs…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Attempted Arsons Involving 'Molotov Cocktails' In Maryland Under Investigation (VIDEO) Attempted Arsons Involving 'Molotov Cocktails' In Maryland Under Investigation (VIDEO)
Attempted Arsons Involving 'Molotov Cocktails' In Maryland Under Investigation (Video) Recognize them? The Maryland Fire Marshal is attempting to track down wanted suspects as they continue to investigate a series of attempted arsons that were reported in multiple addresses on Wednesday morning. Shortly after 3 a.m. on June 12, members of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office responded to four homes in the 1000 block of Tuscola Avenue and one in the 800 block of Oneida Avenue for reported incidents at each residence, officials say. The Fire Marshal was called in to assist with the investigation, and multiple Molotov cocktail-type destruct devices were placed at the front…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Who Set Motel Room Ablaze During Dispute Charged With Arson: Maryland Fire Marshal Man Who Set Motel Room Ablaze During Dispute Charged With Arson: Maryland Fire Marshal
Man Who Set Motel Room Ablaze During Dispute Charged With Arson: Maryland Fire Marshal Dozens of guests were displaced from a Southern Maryland motel this week after a man set a room on fire during a dispute, officials say. The Maryland Fire Marshal is investigating after Leonardtown resident Anthony Cleaver Mason, 64, allegedly set a blaze at the Super Eight Motel in California.  First responders from multiple agencies were called shortly after 8 p.m. on Monday, June 3 to the motel in the 22800 block of Three Notch Road to investigate a reported disturbance after an employee called 911 to report that some guests were arguing. They also reported that the occupants …

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by Zak Failla