Police arrest man accused of putting incendiary devices outside Prince George’s County fire station

Police in Prince George’s County, Maryland, arrested a man over the weekend accused of placing combustible bottles outside a fire station on Aug. 13.

On Saturday, the Prince George’s County Police Department apprehended District Heights resident Slater Chaia, 36, outside Fire Station 805 in Capitol Heights, the county’s Fire/EMS Department said on social media Sunday. 

Mr. Chaia is accused of being the man seen on video putting the incendiary devices on the ground and in a mailbox outside the station.

No one was injured in the incident.

Authorities charged Mr. Chaia, who is being held without bond, with possession of a destructive device, possession of incendiary material with the intention to create a destructive device and reckless endangerment, the fire department said.

If convicted, Mr. Chaia faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the felony possession charges and a fine of up to $5,000 on the misdemeanor reckless endangerment charge, fire officials said.

Local and federal officials believe that Fire Station 805 was targeted specifically, but didn’t mention Mr. Chaia’s possible motive.