A Port Tobacco woman has been charged with first-degree arson and reckless endangerment after Deputy State Fire Marshals determined she intentionally set a fire inside a Charles County home last month, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Firefighters responded to a reported house fire in the 8400 block of Wooddy Road in Port Tobacco around 2 a.m. on Monday, July 27. The Office of the State Fire Marshal was later called in to investigate the cause.
Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set after Jennifer Mary Owen, 59, allegedly set fire to a personal item inside the residence. The fire caused damage to the flooring before it was extinguished. Owen was transported from the scene to a local hospital for evaluation, according to the release.
Based on the investigation, Deputy State Fire Marshals obtained an arrest warrant charging Owen in connection with the fire. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, she was taken into custody without incident at her residence and transported to the Charles County Detention Center, where she was charged with first-degree arson and three counts of reckless endangerment.
Owen was later released after posting a $10,000 unsecured bond.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional charges or details had been released as of this writing.
All charges are allegations; Owen has not been convicted. No characterization of her medical or mental state is included beyond the release’s factual statement that she was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
All charges are allegations; Owen has not been convicted. No characterization of her medical or mental state is included beyond the release’s factual statement that she was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
