5 Former firefighters of Prince George’s County indicted for multiple arson charges
Five former volunteer firefighters have been accused by a grand jury for allegedly setting the fire intentionally at various vacant structures in Prince George’s County.
On Friday at a press conference, Prince George’s County State’s attorney Aisha Braveboy announced the incitement against five former members of the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department – 26-year-old Jeremy Hawkins, 19-year-old Nicholas Holzberger, 24-year-old George Smith, 24-year-old Jay St. John, and 21-year-old Cole Vazquez.
Each of them faces multiple first-degree arson, conspiracy to commit first-degree arson, and misconduct in office charges for four fires that were set in late 2019 and early 2020.
Investigators believe that two men known to the five firefighters set four vacant properties on fire to which Hawkins, Holzberger, Smith, St. John, and Vazquez reported to put out.
The two men – Giancarlo Reyes and Reyes Francis Ortiz-Oro – face multiple charges in connection to the fires.
Video surveillance of the fire station and the electronic devices belonging to the accused firefighters led the authorities to believe that they “had the knowledge and were involved in the planning of the arsons for the of responding to the incident scenes and extinguishing the fire.” Officials also believe that Smith was involved in blazing one of the fires.
The damage due to the fires was estimated at $260,000. No injuries except for Hawkins minor injuries during one of the fires were reported.
“Our volunteers give of themselves and of their time to fulfill our mission to serve our residents. The alleged actions of a few should not disparage the work and sacrifices of our men and women,” said Prince George’s County Fire Chief Tiffany Green in a statement.
All five were removed from the emergency operations in early 2020 as the investigation began.
Hawkins is being held at Prince George’s County of Department of Correction on a $50,000 bond. The rest are scheduled for May 14, 2021, in Prince George’s County Circuit Court.
Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call the Office of the Fire Marshal at (301)-77-ARSON (27766). They can email 77ARSON@CO.PG.MD.US.
