A 29-year-old man is being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center after investigators accused him of setting a fire on the rear deck of a Waldorf home on September 11. Seven people were reportedly inside the house in the 4900 block of Morraine Street, but no one was hurt. An occupant extinguished the fire with a garden hose, and authorities were not notified until the next morning.
Deck Fire Went Unreported Overnight
The case was reported by Southern Maryland Chronicle, which said investigators determined the fire began on the deck and was intentionally set, causing an estimated $1,500 in damage. Investigators said Demartez Trequan Thomas, 29, was at the residence around the time of the fire and was involved in an ongoing domestic-related dispute with one of the occupants. The charges are allegations, and Thomas is presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted in court.
Deputy state fire marshals identified Thomas as the alleged arsonist while working with the Charles County Sheriff's Office. He faces first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property and eight counts of reckless endangerment. The available account says seven people were inside the home; the reason for the difference between that figure and the eight endangerment counts was not established in the information reviewed for this story.
Charged and Held Without Bond
How This Case Compares and Where to Find Help
A prior Waldorf case illustrates how different the allegations and procedural posture can be. TheBayNet reported that a fire at 6706 Coati Court on Dec. 15, 2016, followed a domestic dispute and later led to a grand-jury indictment alleging three counts of attempted murder and three counts of reckless endangerment. That case predates the Morraine Street fire by nearly a decade; the available information does not establish the same injuries, bond decision or final court outcome for both cases. People affected by an escalating household dispute can seek local assistance. According to the Charles County Sheriff's Office, its Victim Services Coordinator assists crime victims and their families during investigations and after an arrest, including with criminal-justice procedures and referrals. The Center for Abused Persons of Charles County says it operates a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week hotline and provides support, referrals and counseling for people affected by intimate-partner violence and related abuse.
The reporting describes inconsistent details about where Thomas is from, with references to California, St. Mary's County, and a California home appearing in coverage of his background; that discrepancy has not been resolved in any official record reviewed for this story. He was transported to the Charles County Detention Center and is being held without bond as the case moves forward.
Under Maryland law, first-degree arson applies to fires that endanger human life or cause more than $50,000 in property damage, and it carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison and $50,000 in fines. Second-degree arson, a lesser charge that has surfaced in other recent Charles County cases, carries a maximum of 20 years behind bars.
Part of a Pattern of Domestic-Tied Arson Cases
The case can be compared with other Charles County arson prosecutions involving alleged domestic disputes, although the circumstances and legal outcomes have varied. In a case reported by TheBayNet, deputy state fire marshals charged 49-year-old Waldorf resident Omar Shariff Harrison with attempted murder and arson after a fire at a home in the 3000 block of Eutaw Drive. Deputies had first responded to a domestic-disturbance call, and investigators said the fire was connected to an ongoing dispute with Harrison's wife.
Not every recent Charles County arson case has involved a domestic dispute. A fire at the Pasha Cigar Lounge on Old Washington Road in Waldorf on October 30, 2025, caused $25,000 in building damage and a $50,000 loss in contents, according to DC News Now. The Office of the State Fire Marshal later ruled that fire an arson and announced arrests in January, charging Shawn Hill Justice with second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, second-degree burglary, and destruction of property over $1,000, while Ashley Elizabeth Ellis was charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree arson and burglary.
Nearby in Port Tobacco, Jennifer Mary Owen was charged with first-degree arson and three counts of reckless endangerment after investigators said she intentionally set fire to a personal item inside a home, per TheBayNet. Owen was later released on a $10,000 unsecured personal bond, and her case remains pending in Charles County Circuit Court — a markedly different outcome from the no-bond detention Thomas is currently facing.
