Baltimore, MD – Perp in Arson Fires Arrested, Held on $1M Bond

Baltimore, MD – After an arson fire at the Pikesville apartment complex that displaced dozens of residents, Baltimore County police arrested a 19-year-old resident and charged him with four counts of arson. Corey Deon Oliver-Bogier started five fires in four buildings at the complex. He is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on $1 million bond.

No one was hurt in the fires. The biggest blaze caused about $50,000 in damage to 11 units in a three-story building, where crews from the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company and the Randallstown and Garrison stations used ladders to rescue 11 people from balconies at the rear of the three-story building.

Investigators focused on Oliver-Bogier after residents reported that the suspect had talked of setting the fires. Police are seeking a second suspect as well.

“If this had happened in the middle of the night, it would’ve been a different story,” said Jon Hirsch, general manager of the complex. “There’s primarily elderly people who live here, and they bear the brunt of this,” Hirsch said.

“We had neighbors translating for us,” said Linnea Anderson, a Red Cross spokeswoman. The agency is assisting 11 families – 27 adults and 12 children – with food, clothing and hotel lodging.
Other families sought help from Jewish Family Services, which has previously assisted immigrants, many from former Soviet republics, who have settled in the complex, said Karen Nettler, associate executive director. [baltsun]