A man who tried and failed to become a volunteer firefighter is accused of intentionally setting fire to a vacant house in Maryland last month.
Giancarlo Reyes, 19, faces charges of first- and second-degree arson stemming from a Jan. 20 blaze in Prince George's County, The Baltimore Sun reports. Another man—Francis Ortiz-Oro, 20—also faces the same charges in connection with the same incident.
The two men allegedly were seen entering an abandoned house that then began smoking before they left, according to investigators. Authorities allege that the duo later returned to the house to make sure the structured continued to burn, the Sun added.
Prince George's County crews eventually responded to the fire after a neighbor spotted the flames and called 9-1-1. No injuries were reported, and the fire caused about $50,000 in damage.
In January 2019, the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department denied Reyes' volunteer firefighter application following a background check. The department also denied his appeal in May 2019, according to the Sun.
