Crime & Safety
Deadly House Fire Prompts 4 Arrests In MD: Police
A deadly house fire prompted four Maryland arrests, police said. Three people were pronounced dead after the blaze.
CLEAR SPRING, MD — Four people were arrested after three victims were pronounced dead following a house fire in Western Maryland, police announced Saturday. Troopers expect additional arrests in the case, which has already sparked murder and arson charges for some suspects.
Authorities identified the suspects currently being held without bond as:
- Darnell "Donnell" Hawkins, 47, of Baltimore.
- Tony Smith, 43, of Hagerstown.
- Maurice Mouzon, 46, of Baltimore.
- Kierra White, 35, of Glen Burnie.
Deputies from the Office of the State Fire Marshal said they were called just after 5 a.m. on Nov. 18 to a one-story, single-family home in the 13000 block of National Pike in Clear Spring, Washington County, for a fatal blaze.
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Investigators said they discovered signs of foul play, including K-9 alerts for accelerants at the house and trauma to the victims that were inconsistent with fire-related injuries.
The Maryland State Police said the three victims lived at the home where the fire broke out. Troopers think this was not a random act of violence.
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Authorities identified the victims as:
- Brittany Ray, 31.
- Harold Flichman, 36.
- Brianna Mae Weishaar, 25.
Medics pronounced all three dead on the scene, a press release said. Autopsies to determine the causes and manners of death will be conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore.
Hawkins was arrested in Baltimore County on Friday. Police said Hawkins is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree arson and related offenses.
Smith was arrested in Montgomery County on Nov. 23. Troopers said Smith is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree arson and related offenses.
Mouzon was arrested in Baltimore City on Nov. 21. Mouzon is charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, distribution of narcotics and a handgun violation, authorities said, adding that he faces separate charges in relation to possession with intent to distribute narcotics located during his arrest.
White was arrested in Baltimore County on Tuesday. White is charged with acting as an accessory after the fact to murder, police said.
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