Matthew Santoni, The Examiner
2008-05-06 07:00:00.0
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BALTIMORE -

Three Harford County teens have been arrested and charged with an arson, and investigators were looking into whether the youths could be connected to 40 other fires in the past six months.

The suspects — two 16-year-old males and one 17-year-old male — were arrested Friday afternoon by investigators from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office in connection with the Feb. 3 burning of a bus stop shelter at Route 924 and Holly Wreath Court in Abingdon, said Joseph Zurolo, deputy state fire marshal.

While investigating arsons, from grass and shrubbery to burned porches and three attempts to set fires at William S. James Elementary, fire marshals got information from a school official at Patterson Mill Middle/High School that led them to the teens, Zurolo said.

“The old military saying goes, ‘Loose lips sink ships,’ ” he said. “There was quite a bit of talking going around at the school, and the [school official] was able to pick up on some of that and forward it to our office.”

The teens are not suspects in any of the other arsons. But Zurolo said investigators “were not ruling it out right now.” Other teens were likely involved in the fires, he said, because some occurred on different ends of Bel Air within minutes of each other.

“We don’t anticipate making any more arrests right now,” he said. “We’re happy with the arrests we’ve gotten so far.”

“Responding to these [arsons] takes away personnel, resources and time because we have to respond to every call like it’s a true emergency,” said Rich Gardiner, fire and EMS spokesman.

The three suspects were charged with second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and conspiracy to commit arson, then released to their parents’ custody, Zurolo said.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com