St. Mary's County Man Charged After Multiple Arson Fires
ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD (December 10, 2025) - Deputy State Fire Marshals have charged a Mechanicsville man in connection with a series of intentionally set fires that occurred Tuesday evening along the 26400 block of Three Notch Road.
Jeffrey Allen Wathen, 41, is facing multiple charges, including first-degree arson, after investigators—assisted by K9 "Taylor"—identified him as a suspect. Wathen approached investigators at one of the scenes and claimed he was also a victim of a fire, prompting additional scrutiny.
The Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department responded shortly after 9:00 p.m. to multiple fires reported within the 26000 block of Three Notch Road. These incidents included an exterior flower bed, a shed, a deck, and an additional exterior area behind a nearby property. Firefighters or the occupants quickly extinguished each fire. The Office of the State Fire Marshal was requested to investigate, and a team of Deputy State Fire Marshals responded to each scene.
While deputies were investigating, they encountered Wathen, a nearby resident who was yelling about a supposed fire in his yard. As the investigation progressed, investigators obtained several pieces of evidence, including surveillance video from a neighboring property showing Wathen running from one of the fire scenes moments after flames became visible.
With the assistance of the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, Wathen was arrested and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with first-degree arson, two counts of second-degree arson, and two counts of first-degree malicious burning.
"Thanks to the quick work of the fire department, our deputies, K9 Taylor, and the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, this suspect was taken into custody before he could set any more fires. Their fast, coordinated response prevented further danger to the community," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray.
"This case is a reminder of the importance of vigilance and teamwork in keeping Marylanders safe."
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Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See:
https://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at
https://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at
https://so.md/expungeme.
