Terrell Anthony Duckett, 26
A sprinkler system and pawned items stolen after a Lexington Park apartment fire are credited with leading investigators to their suspect. Deputy State Fire Marshals charged Terrell Anthony Duckett, 26, yesterday with burglary, theft, and arson charges stemming from the March 2022 fire.
On March 21, 2022, at around 3:00 p.m., Bay District Volunteer Fire Department responded to 4652 Valley Court for a reported apartment fire. Firefighters later discovered a fire within a bedroom closet that had been extinguished due to the sprinkler system activating.
Deputy State Fire Marshals were requested to investigate the cause and discovered evidence the apartment had been burglarized and concluded the suspect had intentionally started the fire. Investigators credit the sprinkler system with containing the fire and minimizing damage to around 3,000 dollars.
Deputy State Fire Marshals charged Duckett yesterday, who is currently incarcerated at St. Mary’s Detention Center, on unrelated charges. Duckett is charged with first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, second-degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property under $1,000, and theft under $1,500.
” Arson investigations are lengthy and arduous, but in this case, the activation of a sprinkler system can be credited on many levels. The sprinkler system not only extinguished the fire but also minimized the damage, allowed multiple tenants to remain in their homes, and assisted in identifying the cause as well as stolen items that may have otherwise been lost in the fire,” stated State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci
Duckett was arrested on April 26, 2022, after 911 callers reported a man with a gun near a commercial business in the 21400 block of Great Mills Road in Lexington Park.
A gun with no serial number and 76 rounds of ammunition was recovered from Duckett’s person.
Terrell Anthony Duckett, 26
