An Aberdeen man is facing attempted murder charges alleging he admitted to starting a fire last month at a home he shared with his father.
Deputy fire marshals charged Patrick Joseph Brinsfield, 27, with attempted first- and second-degree murder and arson offenses alleging he started the March 31 fire on North Post Road.
As firefighters responded to the blaze, Brinsfield told Aberdeen Police officers he had started the fire, according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which investigated the blaze.
A witness who was on his way home had seen the fire and kicked in the door before Brinsfield and his father came out of the home, according to the news release. Brinsfield’s father was in the basement and unaware a fire was on the second floor, the release says. A bulk of the fire was put out within five minutes.
Police took Brinsfield to Harford Memorial Hospital for a precautionary evaluation following the fire, and fire marshal investigators determined the blaze had been intentionally set.
Brinsfield was arrested Friday after he was discharged from the hospital. He is being held without bond at the Harford County Detention Center.