18-Year-Old Accused of Setting Mother's Home on Fire

Authorities say he set his mother's home on fire following an argument with family members

An 18-year-old man was arrested for setting his mother's home on fire following an argument with family members in a Washington, D.C. suburb Friday morning, authorities said.

The local Fire and EMS Department is not releasing the suspect's name, but he is facing multiple charges.

After a dispute with family inside the home at in Oxon Hill, Md., the suspect removed his grandfather from the home, went back inside and lit a fire, according to authorities.

Police officers — who had been sent to the address on a domestic call — arrived to find the home in flames. They tried to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers from their cruisers while they waited for firefighters.

At one point, the suspect appeared on the roof and threw what authorities are calling "an unknown type of product" at the officers, causing them to retreat.

As the flames and smoke became more intense, the suspect jumped off the roof and was taken into custody.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 15 to 20 minutes. Damage is estimated at $80,000, and the suspect's mother will be displaced.

The suspect has been charged with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, first-degree destruction of property and 10 counts of first-degree assault on a police officer.

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