Arson Charge Levied Against Stafford Man For Setting Fire To Vacant Building

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — An 18-year-old Stafford man was arrested on Thursday for setting fire to a vacant building earlier in the week north of the City of Fredericksburg, according to authorities.

On Oct. 27, Stafford County fire and rescue personnel responded to the report of a commercial fire in the 700 block of Cambridge Street near the Enon Road intersection, according to the incident report.

Fire personnel arriving on the scene reported seeing smoke showing from three sides of the single-story commercial building, according to the report. Crews were able to quickly bring the fire under control.

Following an investigation, the Stafford County Fire Marshal's office arrested 18-year-old Samuel Harang of Stafford, charging him with burning an unoccupied structure. He was then held in the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond

Harang was arraigned in Stafford General District Court on Friday and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. on Dec. 19, according to court records.

The charge Harang is facing — arson of an unoccupied building causing more than $1,000 in damage, is a Class 4 felony. If convicted of this charge, he faces a possible sentence of not less than two years nor more than 10 years in prison and a fine up to $100,000, according to the Virginia Code.

Harang was scheduled to appear in Stafford County General District court on Thursday, in connection to an Oct. 10 arrest for intoxication in public, a Class 4 misdemeanor, according to court records. Instead, he waived his right for a trial and paid a fine of $25 plus $94 in court costs on Oct. 17.