A man was being held in St. Mary’s County Jail without bail after he allegedly tried to and tried to set the basement apartment that he once used to rent afire.
Defendant Juan Carlos Cambara was charged with arson first degree, which carries a sentence of 30 years and/or $50,000. Cambara was interrogated and arrested on the complaint of the State Fire Marshall Office, St. Mary’s District Court documents showed.
Cambara, 23, originally from Guatemala, was renting a basement apartment on South Essex Drive in St. Mary’s County.
Deputy Fire Marshall Don Brenneman alleged Cambara, who works for a local landscaping company, “willfully and maliciously” tried to burn down the home of the victim, identified as Maria Trujillo.
In his report, Brenneman said on Sunday Dec. 10 of last year, Deputy Harris of St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Office patrol division responded to the crime scene for a possible breaking in and unlawful entry.
Harris learned that Cambara had previously been a tenant and had been evicted for failure to pay rent.
Brenneman said further investigation of the crime scene by Harris resulted in discovery of three different and distinct burn patterns in the victim’s basement apartment.
St. Mary’s sheriff’s office then notified the State Fire Marshall’s Office for further investigations.
Brenneman interviewed the owner, who said she was in perpetual argument with Cambara, who was told to leave two weeks prior to the December 10 fire.
On Feb. 23 the defendant was interviewed by Sgt. W. Rosado about the arson. According to Brenneman, in the recorded interview Cambara confessed that on a weekend evening he was having an argument with the owner when he went downstairs into the basement and using a cigarette lighter started three different fires on the wall to wall carpet.
Cambara, however said once the fire started he “stomped” the fire before leaving.
At the time of his arrest, the defendant was living with his uncle. Hearing of the case has been set for March 3.