On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, members of two Arson Task Forces, along with investigators and detectives from multiple Maryland fire and police agencies, arrested 69-year-old David M. Crawford of Ellicott City. Crawford is facing numerous arson and attempted murder charges in connection with a series of incendiary fires of homes, vehicles, and residential garages since 2011.
The arrest was the culmination of a collaboration between the following agencies: Prince George’s County Arson Task Force which is comprised of Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Office of the Fire Marshal/Fire Investigations Division and the Prince George’s County Police Homeland Security Unit, Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services, Howard County Police Department, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service - Fire and Explosives Investigations unit, Montgomery County Police Department, Frederick County Division of Fire & Rescue Services, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and in partnership with the Maryland State Office of the Fire Marshal, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
At
approximately 1:30 am, units were dispatched for a report of an auto fire.
Surveillance video captured the suspect dousing the victim’s city vehicle,
which was parked at the residence, in gasoline and then repeating the same on
the victim’s personal vehicle. The suspect is then seen lighting the personal
vehicle on fire. While the suspect was setting the victim’s personal vehicle on
fire, the suspect’s clothing caught fire. The suspect is then seen on video
fleeing the scene.
March 16, 2019 – 5800 block of Maple Terrace, Laurel
At
approximately 3:30 am, units arrived on scene to find a detached garage, two
vehicles parked in the driveway and the adjacent house on fire. The victim and
family were asleep in the home at the time of the fire. Surveillance video
captured the suspect dousing the garage and driveway in between two vehicles
with gasoline and then running back to a car and leaving the scene. Shortly
after the incident, video of the suspect was released to the media in an effort
to generate tips in the case: https://youtu.be/y1xX9qpkP28
In Prince George’s County, Crawford was charged with four counts of 1st Degree Attempted Murder, four counts of 2nd Degree Attempted Murder, one count of 1st Degree Arson, six counts of 1st Degree Malicious Burning, and five counts of 2nd Degree Arson. All charges are felonies.
September 5, 2016 – 22600 block of Majestic Elm Court, Clarksburg
At
approximately 5:33 am, units were dispatched for a reported townhouse fire. On
scene, crews found a fire burning in the rear of the townhouse which extended
up the vinyl siding of the victim’s unoccupied townhouse and a neighbor’s
townhouse. The neighbor was home at the time of the fire. An accelerant was
detected at the base of the victim’s garage door which later tested positive as
gasoline. Surveillance video captured the sound of liquid being poured and the
clicking noise of a lighter.
September 29, 2017 – 226000 block of Majestic Elm Court, Clarksburg (same address as above)
At
approximately 9:00 am, units were dispatched for a reported townhouse fire. Upon
arrival, crews found a self-extinguished fire in the rear along the base of the
home’s garage door. Surveillance video captured a suspect wearing a hooded
sweatshirt tightly drawn around their face carrying a jug of what was later
determined to be gasoline walking up behind the address. Liquid is then heard
being poured followed by the clicking sound of a lighter and flames follow.
Suspect is seen running away. Additional video captured a silver sedan leaving
the area.
November 17, 2020 – 11800 block of Peppervine Drive, Clarksburg
At
approximately 3:15 am, units were dispatched for a structure fire. Upon
arrival, crews found a fire in a detached garage. Video surveillance captured a
loud explosion and a suspect running away from the scene wearing a hooded
sweatshirt tightly drawn around their face. Samples taken at the scene later
tested positive for gasoline.
At
approximately 3:05 am, fire and police responded for a report of a vehicle fire.
Fire was contained to the vehicle itself. Vehicle was unoccupied.
At
approximately 4:19 am, units responded for a reported house fire. On scene,
units located a single-family dwelling with a fire located in the attached
garage. The family, three adults and two juveniles, were inside the home
sleeping at the time of the fire and escaped. Fire was determined to be arson.
December 9, 2017 – 4000 block of Spring Meadow Drive, Ellicott City
At
approximately, 3:17 am, units responded for a reported house fire. Once scene,
crews found a single-family home with fire showing. The family, two adults and
one juvenile, were home at the time of the fire and escaped. Fire was determined
to be arson.
August 17, 2018 - 4000 block of Spring Meadow Drive, Ellicott City (same address as above)
Area of
front lawn burned during the overnight hours. Contractors discovered the
damaged area the following day. Cause of fire determined to be incendiary in
nature.
September 22, 2018 – 4000 block of Spring Meadow Drive, Ellicott City (same address as previous two fires on the same block)
At
approximately 3:45 am, units responded for a reported house fire. The home was
unoccupied as renovations had just been completed from the previous fire.
Investigators determined the fire originated along the front of the house to
include the garage and spread to the majority of the rest of the house.
In Howard County, Crawford was charged with eight counts of Attempted 1st Degree Murder, eight counts of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, three counts of 1st Degree Malicious Burning, two counts of 1st Degree Arson, two counts of 2nd Degree Arson, one count of 2nd Degree Malicious Burning and various Malicious Destruction charges.
Frederick County
April 3, 2018 – 2300 block of Gapland Road, Jefferson
At
approximately 3:41 am, units responded to a reported house fire. On scene,
crews discovered a fire along the entire base of a three-car attached garage. The
victim and another adult were home asleep at the time of the fire. It was
initially believed that faulty wiring was the cause of the fire. On April 9th,
the homeowner contacted the Office of the Fire Marshal. An investigator, who is
also an Accelerant Detection Canine Handler with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives (ATF), responded to the scene. Samples found at the scene tested
positive for gasoline and the cause of the fire was determined to be arson.
Crawford is charged with one count of 1st Degree Arson, one count of 2nd Degree Arson and one count of 1st Degree Malicious Burning. All charges are felonies.
Charles
County *UNDER
INVESTIGATION*
At
approximately 3:54 am, units responded for a reported vehicle fire that had
spread to the nearby home. The victim and family were asleep inside the home at
the time of the fire. The fire had damaged the garage area of the house and a
vehicle parked in front of the garage. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office
responded to the scene. Fire was determined to be arson.
Crawford is a suspect in this case. No charges have been filed in Charles County of this writing. The Maryland State Fire Marshal is leading this investigation.
If you have information in connection with these cases, please see below for information on how to contact your local County investigators or you can contact the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
ARSON HOTLINE: 1-800-492-7529
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