Baltimore man accused of torching own car on railroad tracks, halting train traffic for hours
Joppa, MD — A Baltimore man has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to his own vehicle on a CSX railroad track in Harford County last month, an act that brought train operations to a halt for several hours.
Darnell Anthony Brown, 53, was taken into custody early Thursday morning by Maryland State Police and charged with multiple offenses related to the December 19 incident. Just before 3 a.m. that day, crews from the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company responded to the 1100 block of Joppa Road, where they found a 2010 Cadillac SRX fully engulfed in flames on the railway.
Deputy State Fire Marshals launched an investigation and determined the blaze was intentionally set. Out of caution, fire crews requested that train activity in the area be suspended while they extinguished the fire and secured the scene.
Brown initially told investigators that he had been abducted and his vehicle stolen, but evidence collected by the fire marshal’s office contradicted those claims.
Brown was arrested at his home in Baltimore City and booked into the Harford County Detention Center. He faces multiple charges including second-degree arson, malicious burning, obstruction of railroad operations, providing false statements to police, and trespassing on posted property.
After a hearing before a District Court Commissioner, Brown was released on a $20,000 bond.
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Key Points
- Darnell Brown, 53, is accused of setting his own car on fire on CSX tracks in Harford County
- The fire forced train traffic to halt for several hours during the December 19 incident
- Brown faces arson, fraud, obstruction, and trespassing charges; he was released on bond