NEWBURG, Md. — A Prince Frederick man is in police custody for allegedly setting a building on fire and making false 911 calls in Charles County.
On February 22, around 8:30 pm, the Newburg Volunteer Fire Company and other departments were working to put out a fire at a commercial building in the 12000 block of Crain Highway.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire at the vacant structure in minutes.
Investigators found that the 911 caller, Joshua Christian-Stanley Jackson, 21, was known for filming emergency services responses for social media sites.
In one post, Jackson said he was returning from a DoorDash in King George County, Virginia when he found the fire on Crain Highway and described it and its progression in detail.
Deputy State Fire Marshals discovered Jackson had not traveled to or from Virginia for DoorDash and found that he had made multiple 911 calls in the past in Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties.
Jackson told investigators he set the fire and explained how he made profits on other videos he had filmed.
"Arson is a serious crime that puts lives at risk and places an unnecessary burden on our first responders. I commend our Deputy State Fire Marshals who worked tirelessly in this case," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. "We want to remind the public that making false 911 calls is a criminal offense, and anyone who engages in such reckless behavior will be held accountable."
Jackson was arrested Friday morning and was charged with second-degree arson, malicious burning, and causing a false fire alarm.
The Fire Marshal's Office said it's continuing to investigate more cases that Jackson may have reported.
