Free Republic

GREENBELT -- One of the men accused of setting fires at an upscale housing development in southern Maryland made racist and threatening comments about blacks moving into the homes and was angry that the "neighborhood is going black," according to court documents made public Thursday. The allegations about Aaron Speed, who worked as a security guard at the Hunters Brooke development in Indian Head, emerged from an interview with another man charged in the fires, Jeremy Parady. The interview was detailed in search warrant affidavits unsealed in federal court. Speed and Parady are among six men charged with arson in...

Authorities seek to question van driver in arson; Vehicle was seen leaving Charles Co. development; 'Potential witness, but possibly something more' INDIAN HEAD -- More than one arsonist is believed to have set fires that destroyed 10 homes under construction and damaged 16 others in a Southern Maryland subdivision, investigators said today. Deputy State Fire Marshall W. Faron Taylor said fire investigators also discovered 11 other arson attempts in the Hunters Brooke subdivision. Evidence collected at those houses, which were not damaged, is of monumental value to investigators, he said. "We are strongly considering that this act had to have...