A man who applied to be a Prince George’s County, Maryland, firefighter last year was arrested and charged with arson after investigators said he intentionally started a fire in a vacant Lanham home.
Giancarlo Reyes, 19, and Francis Ortiz-Oro, 20, are accused of setting a home in the 9500 block of Wellington Street on fire around 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 20, according to Prince George’s County police.
Investigators said the two men entered the house through a back door, set the fire and fled. The pair returned to the house minutes later to ensure the fire had spread.
Neighbors noticed the fire and called 911.
Both men were charged with first and second-degree arson. Ortiz-Oro also faces malicious destruction of property charges.
Reyes applied to join the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department in January 2019 but was denied. The decision was appealed and denied a second time in May 2019.
There were no reported injuries. The fire resulted in $50,000 in damage, Prince George’s County police said in a news release.
Police urge anyone with information about the case to call the Office of the Fire Marshal at 301-77-ARSON (27766) or email 77ARSON@CO.PG.MD.US.
Below is a map of where the incident occurred.
