In a case that has quietly captured the attention of the Rosedale community, the Baltimore County Fire Department has definitively ruled a July house explosion as an act of arson. According to FOX Baltimore, the incident occurred during the early hours of July 1 at a residence located at 8120 Callo Lane. Although the home was vacant at the time of the explosion, the force of the blast was strong enough to cause damage to an adjacent property.
Following a thorough investigation, 66-year-old Mark Hawkins, the homeowner, was arrested and has been accused of deliberately setting the explosion that rocked his own house. He now faces charges of first-degree arson and first-degree malicious burning.
In a separate but related article from WMAR-2 News, Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon was noted stating that despite the potential for catastrophic outcomes, there were no injuries as the residents were not present when the explosion happened. Information on the extent of the damage to the neighboring house was described as minimal.
