Denton Man Charged With Arson

DENTON, MD - Maryland Deputy Fire Marshals have charged a Caroline County man with first-degree arson stemming from an early morning incident July 26 at 514 Market St. in Denton, according to a news release.

Court records from the Maryland Judiciary website show Richard Taylor Chapline, 23, who lived in the burned apartment building, is charged with first- and second-degree arson and first-degree malicious burning.

The records show Chapline is being held without bail in the Caroline County Detention Center.

Fire marshals said 35 firefighters from the Denton, Greensboro and Ridgely volunteer fire companies came to the apartment building at about 12:30 a.m. for the fire, which caused about $20,000 worth of damage. Fire marshals said the first floor was under renovations at the time and unoccupied, but sustained water damage.

Fire marshals said the fire originated in a second-floor bedroom of Chapline's apartment and was contained to the building's second floor. Fire marshals said the Denton Police Department detained Chapline at the scene for questioning and Chapline admitted to setting the fire.

from the Star-Democrat