A woman arrested on Friday is accused of setting multiple fires at a house at Leisure World early Wednesday morning.
Marcelina Esther Bowman was arrested on Friday by Fairfax City police in Virginia, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer wrote on Twitter.
The arrest, Piringer wrote, was related to a fire that happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday in the 14690 block of Edelmar Drive.
Piringer posted on Wednesday that the fire happened in a bedroom, which had an extension to the attic, and caused about $350,000 in damage. He wrote that arson was determined to be the cause of the fire.
(~2a) 14690blk Edelman Dr, Leisure World, 1-sty duplex, fire in bedroom w/ extension to attic, all occupants out, @MCFRS_EMIHS evaluated 1 resident, ~65 FFs on scene pic.twitter.com/UW5beur4ZT
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) May 13, 2020
In an interview, Piringer said Bowman was a guest at the house.
“And for whatever reason, [she] set several fires with the occupant of the house inside,” he said.
The man inside the house was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, Piringer said.
County fire investigators issued a warrant for her arrest, he said.
“[Fire investigators] somehow tracked her down to Virginia. Fairfax City police arrested her and [have] her in custody,” he said.
Piringer said Bowman was charged with one count each of first-degree arson and reckless endangerment and two counts of malicious destruction of property. She will be extradited to Montgomery County, he said.
The charges against Bowman were not listed in the state’s court database on Friday afternoon.
Leisure World officials could not be reached for comment Friday.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
