Hagerstown man arrested for setting ex-girlfriend's car on fire

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A man faces up to 28 years in prison and $32,000 in fines for allegedly setting his ex-girlfriend's car on fire.

Willie Robert Thorton, 41, was arrested Monday morning for the crime committed earlier this month.

Just after 5 a.m. on Sept. 5, the Hagerstown Fire Department was sent to a car fire on Security Road. Once there, officers discovered a fire inside a 2013 Mercedes C300 that someone nearby had extinguished before their arrival. The Office of the State Fire Marshal was requested to investigate the cause, and deputies concluded the fire was intentionally set, causing around $5,000 in damages.

During their investigation, detectives identified Thorton as a suspect. Thorton was found to be the car owner's ex-boyfriend. 

Thornton is currently being held and awaiting bond review at the Washington County Detention Center, where he has been charged with second-degree arson, malicious burning, first-degree, and malicious destruction of property.