Woman charged with arson

Reportedly set house on fire, $50,000 in estimated damages

A woman was arrested on Saturday after she was alleged to have intentionally set a fire which engulfed a Hughesville house on Friday, court records indicate.

Charged with first-degree arson, Chermiah Laqueeke Brown, 20, of Hughesville reportedly started the fire after a confrontation with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, charging documents indicate.

Around 9:23 p.m. on Friday, 47 firefighters from the Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to a one-alarm fire at a home located in the 6400 block of Patuxent Woods Lane, according to a report from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. After battling the flames for about 10 minutes, the fire was brought under control. Authorities estimated the total damages to be $50,000.

Fire marshals responded to the scene and began their investigation, which revealed there were two points of origin within the

house: in the living room and the kitchen area, charging documents indicate. A police K9 also detected the presence of an accelerant in the kitchen area, and multiple witnesses told authorities that Brown was alone in the house at the time of the fire.

Brown remains in custody after her bond was set at $50,000 on Monday, per court records. A preliminary hearing date has been scheduled for Oct. 21.