Jesse M. Russell, 37
Deputy State Fire Marshals have charged Jesse Marie Russell, 37, after determining she was responsible for intentionally setting curtains on fire in the living room of her Piney Point home on Sunday, May 16, 2021.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were driving by the residence in the 46000 block of Crowder Lane in Piney Point, and observed Russell standing in the foyer with flames visible inside the home.
A structure fire assignment was then dispatched which alerted crews from Valley Lee, Bay District, Leonardtown, NAS Patuxent River and Hollywood.
Deputies stopped and ordered Russell out of the home, where deputies then observed a cigarette lighter in her hand. Deputies extinguished the fire with portable fire extinguishers, and Russell was detained. The Office of the State Fire Marshal was requested to conduct an origin and cause investigation.
Firefighters from Valley Lee arrived on the scene and confirmed the fire was extinguished and returned to service in under 30 minutes.
No injuries were reported.
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office advised they had responded to the same address earlier in the day after a landlord and tenant dispute involving Russell, in which she broke one window during the verbal argument and left the residence to go to church.
Russel stated she left church and returned to the residence, where she then processed to break every remaining window inside of the residence with a crowbar and set the window curtains on fire.
During a interview with Russel, she admitted to setting the curtain on fire and stated that “setting the curtain on fire was too far, and she feared for her daughter.” Court documents show she only resided at the residence for approximately one week, and the house was currently under renovation at the time of the events.
Russell was charged with Arson 1st Degree, Malicious Burning 2nd Degree, and Malicious Destruction of Property under $1,000. Russell is currently being held without bond at St. Mary’s County Detention Center.
