Maryland’s Allegany County. After an investigation involving security footage and an unexpected Facebook lead, a 32-year-old man has been taken into custody in relation to the deliberate burning of a tree at Radiant Life Church in Cumberland, Maryland.
A tree on the grounds of the church located at 212 Park Street was set on fire on December 9, 2024, shortly after 5:00 p.m. The fire was promptly put out by Cumberland Fire Department firefighters, and the Cumberland Fire Marshal’s Office later concluded that the fire was started on purpose. After the suspect’s actions were caught on security film, the Office of the State Fire Marshal joined the inquiry, however they were unable to instantly identify him.
When Deputy State Fire Marshal Adam Rounds happened onto a lead while perusing the BCPF Reality News Facebook page, the case took a different path. Working with the Cumberland Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, and Bedford Borough Police, Deputy Rounds recognized the subject from the video and was able to identify him as 32-year-old Dalton Richard Eugene Gates.
Even if it might have been a tree, any purposeful fire, regardless of the property, poses a serious risk to public safety, according to a statement from Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. Deputy Rounds was able to connect Gates to the arson through cooperation and meticulous investigation. Every fire is taken seriously by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which is dedicated to looking into and prosecuting those who act recklessly.
Gates is now being imprisoned at the Bedford County Correctional Facility after being taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police on January 2, 2025. He is currently pending extradition to Maryland, where he is anticipated to be charged with arson.
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