Three Charged In Tilghman Island House Fire
TALBOT COUNTY, MD (February 28, 2022) - After a two-month investigation, Deputy State Fire Marshals charged a man and two juveniles after determining they were responsible for intentionally setting a vacant Tilghman house on fire.
Around 11:00 p.m, on December 14, 2021, neighbors called 911 after discovering a vacant home on fire in the 5200 block of Black Walnut Point Road. Firefighters from Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Company and nearby fire departments arrived and discovered the home ablaze. It took over 50 firefighters and nearly two and half hours to control the two-alarm fire.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal was requested to conduct an origin and cause investigation, and investigators determined the fire was an act of arson. A two-month investigation concluded with the arrest of Kristen Tre'saun Banks, 21, of Easton, and two juveniles ages 15 and 16. All three were charged with Arson 1st Degree, Arson 2nd Degree, Malicious Burning 1st Degree, Burglary 3rd Degree, Burglary 4th Degree, and Malicious Destruction of Property over $1,000. Banks was served with a criminal summons. Both juveniles were released to the custody of their guardians.
"Arson is a heinous crime that is aggressively and thoroughly investigated. As we have seen recently in Baltimore, firefighters put their lives on the line every day. When a fire is the result of arson, it endangers their lives even more. Our extremely talented group of fire investigators go to work every day in pursuit of making Maryland safer and do their part to protect those who protect us," stated State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci.
-30-
The
Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of
State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and
explosion through a comprehensive program of education,
inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more
information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: Maryland State Fire Marshal and/or our Facebook Page.
|
