ELKTON â A woman allegedly torched her home near Elkton on Thursday afternoon, gutting the house and displacing herself and three other adults who lived there, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.
No one was injured in the swiftly-spreading blaze â but one of the occupants made a narrow escape from the burning house, with the help of a man who was performing gutter work on a house diagonally across the street in the unit block of Cherry Lane, a short distance off Fletchwood, northeast of Elkton, fire officials reported.
A responding Cecil County Sheriffâs Office deputy spotted the woman who allegedly set the fire, as she was walking on the street a short distance away from the burning house, and detained her, fire officials said. As of late Thursday afternoon, fire officials added, MOSFM detectives were interviewing that woman at the Maryland State Police North East Barrack.
By Carl Hamilton
cahamilton@cecilwhig.com Apr 29, 2021
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA MALLOY
A neighbor captured this photo of a Cherry Lane house on fire,
just moments after the blaze was intentionally set Thursday
afternoon.
CECIL WHIG PHOTO BY CARL HAMILTON
Firefighters battle a blaze in the unit block of Cherry Lane,
northeast of Elkton, on Thursday afternoon.
CECIL WHIG PHOTO BY CARL HAMILTON
Averee Hammond, 24, and Travis Sellers, 25, were doing work
across the street when they watched a woman set fire to a house on
Cherry Lane. Sellers rescued another woman who was trapped in the
basement.
CECIL WHIG PHOTO BY CARL HAMILTON
ELKTON â Investigators have filed arson and attempted murder charges against a woman who allegedly torched her occupied home near Elkton on Thursday afternoon, gutting the house and displacing herself and three other adults who lived there, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Charging documents allege that the suspect â Gail J. Metwally, 47 â remained on the property and watched for several minutes after intentionally setting fire to the house in the unit block of Cherry Lane, which is a short distance away from Fletchwood Road, northeast of Elkton.
âVideo footage and witness statements provided that Metwally set fire within the dwelling and then retreated to the front yard. She then sat down on a chair and watched the fire progress. She is observed saying, âHasta-la-vista, Bitch,â in one of the videos while the fire is observed within the dwelling,â court records allege.
November 20, 1952 â March 31, 2021
Frederick M. âRickâ Sellers of Hermiston, Oregon, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 68 on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
Rick was born on November 20, 1952, in Spokane, Washington, to Frederick âFredâ and Betty Burd Sellers. He attended Hermiston schools and graduated from Hermiston High School in 1971. After high school, Rick attended Blue Mountain Community College for two years.
A summer job with Union Pacific during that time evolved into a 42-year-long career proudly working for Union Pacific. Rick was united in marriage to Diane Campbell on December 9, 1989, in Hermiston, Oregon.
Upon retirement from Union Pacific, Rick took a security officerâs job with Amazon, where he was currently working.