Man held in fire try near Pentagon

Suspect was out on bail in Arkansas case, court files show

FAYETTEVILLE — A man arrested Monday after police say he tried to set fire to a Land Rover outside the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., is facing trial on a theft charge in Washington County Circuit Court.

Matthew Dmitri Richardson, 19, was approached by a Pentagon police officer on patrol about 10:55 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The officer reported seeing smoke coming from some burnt fabric on the ground and Richardson standing next to the 2016 Land Rover, striking a cigarette lighter to a piece of fabric pushed into the gas tank.

Richardson told the officer that he was going to “blow this vehicle up” and “himself,” according to the release.

When the officer tried to detain him, Richardson pulled away and ran across the parking lot, according to the release. Surveillance-video footage showed Richardson jumping over a fence into Arlington National Cemetery, reports said. Richardson was found by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency Police Emergency Response Team about 12:15 p.m. near Arlington House on the cemetery grounds, reports said.

Officers searched Richardson and found a cigarette lighter, gloves and court documents related to his arrest Saturday in the assault on a law enforcement officer in Arlington County, Va., according to the news release. He had been released on his own recognizance on the assault charges.

Richardson was charged Monday with maliciously attempting to damage and destroy by means of fire a vehicle used in affecting interstate and foreign commerce. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s news release.

Richardson made an initial court appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., and was ordered held for a hearing that’s set for Thursday.

The Land Rover is owned by an active-duty service member who didn’t know Richardson, according to the release.

Richardson was arrested in Arkansas on Nov. 27 after he stole a 2018 Ford Explorer from the Washington Regional Medical Center parking lot, according to police and court records.

Richardson was driving the Explorer when he was stopped by a West Fork police officer near 125 N. Centennial Drive, according to a preliminary arrest report. Richardson said he found a key fob while walking through the hospital parking lot and walked around pushing buttons on the fob until he saw the lights of a Ford Explorer turn on, the report said.

Richardson was born in Khabarovsk, Russia, and is listed in police reports as being homeless. Richardson told police that he took the Explorer because he was going to “see the governor of Arkansas so the governor could tell the president of the United States that it was not safe for Richardson in Arkansas.”

Richardson was charged with theft of property. He was released from the Washington County jail on Dec. 6 on $3,500 bond and has a trial date of April 13.

Records at the Fayetteville Police Department show that officers had 19 encounters with Richardson beginning in July. The records show that those encounters included complaints of an intoxicated person, loitering, theft, trespassing, welfare concern, stolen vehicle, suspicious activity, mental person, threat and harassment.