Former Tenant Charged in Sandal Lane House Fire; Rescued Dogs' Health Declining

Police have arrested a Bowie man in connection with Wednesday's Sandal Lane house fire that caused $100,000 in damage and injured two Chihuahuas, both of which are now reportedly in declining health, according to Prince George's County Fire Department spokesperson Mark Brady.

Julian Martin Massiah, 21, is being charged with one count each of first degree and second degree arson, Brady said. Both charges are felonies and, if convicted, Massiah could face up to 30 years and 20 years in jail respectively. Additional charges may be filed upon review by the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office, Brady said.

Firefighters arrived at the home on 12400 block of Sandal Lane Wednesday morning to find the home well involved in fire. They were able to quickly extinguish the blaze and located the two dogs in the first floor of the burned out home.

Fire investigators identified Massiah, who was once a tenant in the home, as a suspect through their investigative work and the help of the community, Brady said. 

"He had previously occupied the house but was no longer welcome there," Brady said in an interview.

Massiah is currently being held on $150,000 bond. 

PGFD Fire Chief Marc Bashoor commended firefighters on their quick and safe work extinguishing the Wednesday fire, and fire investigators for quickly identifying a suspect in the arson. 

Firefighters rescued two Chihuahuas—one of which was near death—from the wreckage of the home Wednesday. Though they were released to their owner on Wednesday and appeared in good heath, Brady said that now the health of the animals is declining. 

Mylo, a 3-year-old Chihuahua, is experiencing eye irritation due to debris or burns and Otis, a 2-year-old Chihuahua, is "not doing very well," according to Brady, and may be suffering the effects of smoke inhalation. The owner brought the dogs to Bowie Fire Station 39, near Freestate Mall, for additional oxygen last night, but their health continues to fail.

The health of Otis, the smaller of the two dogs, is of particular concern.

"The smaller Chihuahua is in need of some immediate care for survival," Brady said.

Unfortunately, the owners do not have the financial resources to take the animals to the veterinarian for treatment, but PGFD is working on a plan to help the dogs and their owners, officials said. 

"We are going to see what we can do to work something out through donations or a family vet," Brady said.

According to a release issued by PGFD Friday, the family may ask for the public's assistance in raising funds to treat the animals, and additional information on that is "forthcoming."