Bowie Man Who Set Multiple Fires in His Home Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

A Bowie man was sentenced Tuesday to spend 10 years in prison for setting multiple fire inside his Pewter Lane home, according to a statement issued by the Prince George’s County Fire Department.

Elijah Kareem Shahid was sentenced to 30 years in prison with all but 10 years suspended for first-degree arson. He was also sentenced to a concurrent 10 years for an arson threat. Following his prison term, he will be on supervised probation for five years.

Firefighters were dispatched to a fire at 16312 Pewter Lane in Bowie on July 5, 2013, Patch earlier reported. Police were already at the location responding to a “possible domestic dispute” and dispatchers warned firefighters that there was possibly still a person in the burning house.

Firefighters extinguished multiple fires throughout the home with different points of origin. Shahid was originally charged with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and threat of arson. Police and firefighters said Shahid used an ignitable liquid to start the fires in his home.

Damage to the home was estimated at $10,000 and no injuries were reported.

Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor said after the sentencing, "I am proud of the hard work and dedication our personnel from the Department's Office of the Fire Marshal demonstrated in this incident with an arrest, conviction and sentencing. I also want to thank the States Attorney's Office for working with our fire investigators in bringing this case to a successful conclusion and lengthy sentence for this heinous crime of arson."