Leonardtown man arrested for setting fire that displaced 46 guests at maryland hotel

ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MD – A significant fire, allegedly set by a Leonardtown man, ravaged a hotel room yesterday evening, displacing 46 guests and inflicting an estimated $750,000 in damages. The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 PM at the Super Eight Motel located at 22801 Three Notch Road in California.

Authorities were alerted to the disturbance by a motel employee who reported that the occupants of room 310 were arguing loudly, had broken windows, and had barricaded the door. Responding deputies observed 64-year-old Anthony Cleaver Mason inside the room attempting to start a fire, prompting an immediate evacuation of the building while they awaited fire department response.

Firefighters from multiple units including Bay District, Hollywood, NAS Patuxent River, Leonardtown, Ridge, Valley Lee, and Solomons were called to the scene. They encountered flames and several people injured from jumping from the third floor in an attempt to escape. A woman and her child were rescued; the woman later experienced a medical emergency and was taken to a hospital, while the child was evaluated and released to family members.

Following the incident, Mason was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree arson, reckless endangerment, and first-degree malicious burning. He is now being held without bond at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is further investigating the arson.

Shore News Network Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.