Burning Questions: Arson Charges Filed After Georgetown House Fire
In a startling incident in Georgetown, D.C., law enforcement has brought charges of arson against an individual following a destructive house fire. Initial findings suggest that the fire originated from charcoal briquettes found within the residence.
A 26-year-old suspect allegedly broke into a Georgetown residence on Monday, where he reportedly ignited charcoal briquettes, causing extensive damage to the $3.1 million property. According to advisory neighborhood sources, the homeowners were absent at the time of the incident and could not be immediately contacted.
A police report indicates that fire investigators determined the fire to be deliberately set using small piles of charcoal briquettes strategically placed to propagate the flames. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, although damages are estimated to be around $1 million.
The accused, identified as Samuel Carey Kalinski, faces a charge of arson. Public records link Kalinski to an address in the nearby Glover Park neighborhood, less than a mile from the scene of the incident.
While neither an arrest affidavit nor a police report outlines a potential motive, a woman answering a phone registered to Kalinski declined to provide any comment.
During a court hearing on Tuesday, D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered Kalinski’s detention, citing compelling evidence implicating him in the arson. Additionally, Judge Raymond noted a pending assault charge against Kalinski in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Kalinski’s defense attorney, Matthew F. Davies of the Public Defender Service, argued that the video evidence presented by the authorities is inconclusive and stressed Kalinski’s previously unblemished record, apart from the recent arrest in Virginia.
According to Vito Maggiolo, a spokesperson for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze within approximately 20 minutes. Further investigation revealed signs of intrusion into the property’s yard, prompting authorities to search for surveillance footage, which led to the identification of a suspect.
Police allege that surveillance footage captured a man scaling a fence and forcibly entering the residence shortly after 11 a.m. The video purportedly shows the individual entering and leaving the property multiple times, carrying items outside. Smoke was observed emanating from the house around 1:10 p.m., coinciding with the suspect’s departure.
Fire officials apprehended a man fitting the suspect’s description near the burning residence, leading to his subsequent detainment for questioning.