City man charged with setting Maryland Avenue fire
Jun. 10—CUMBERLAND — A Cumberland man faces three separate malicious destruction of property charges after a trash fire he's accused of setting in April caused nearly $5,000 in damages.
Samad Jabri Waller, 36, was arrested June 5 following a joint investigation between the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Cumberland Police Department and the Cumberland fire marshal.
City firefighters and police responded to the furniture fire in front of 701-703 Maryland Ave. about 2 a.m. April 15. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within minutes, and patrol officers later obtained video footage of a person, identified as Waller, setting a garbage can on fire that spread to discarded furniture.
The fire caused about $3,500 damage to a nearby 2018 Kia Soul, and a window and internet phone line also sustained extensive damage, totaling just over $1,000 between the two.
After initially denying he had set the fire, Waller reportedly told investigators he set it because his bike was stolen earlier in the evening.
Waller was initially held without bail after appearing before a district court commissioner. He was released after posting a $5,000 unsecured bond following bail review.
