Chestertown Man Responsible for
Commercial Building Fire
KENT COUNTY, MARCH 19, 2024 - Deputies from the Office of the State Fire Marshal Office have charged a suspect for the fire at 103 Church Alley in Chestertown, which originally occurred on September 27, 2023.
The fire occurred at a commercial building within town limits, in which the front was utilized as a business, and the rear was utilized as an apartment. Investigators located multiple points of origin within the apartment. They determined that the occupant of the apartment was responsible for setting the fires. The occupant was identified as Julian Cookerly, 32, of Chestertown, who was originally transported to the hospital for evaluation after the fire. The fire caused damages throughout the apartment and minor residual damage in the businesses, which totaled approximately $25,000. There were no injuries, but both businesses were occupied during the fire.
Cookerly was taken into custody today and charged with First-Degree Arson, Second-Degree Arson, Second-Degree Malicious Burning, and Malicious Destruction of Property. He was taken to the Kent County Detention Center, where he will be held for a bail review tomorrow.
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.
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