Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty In Arson Case That Targeted Ex-Girlfriend
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore man has pleaded guilty to setting fire to a house while his ex-girlfriend and her roommates were inside of it, according to authorities.
Federal officials announced on Friday that Luther Trent, 21, pleaded guilty on Thursday to malicious destruction of property by fire.
Trent allegedly poured gasoline along the exterior of a Baltimore residence around 1:30 a.m. on May 21, 2021, and set it on fire while his ex-girlfriend and two roommates were inside of the home, federal officials said.
The fire caused significant damage to the residence and the property next to it, according to Department of Justice officials,
The ex-girlfriend had been involved "in a prior volatile relationship with Trent," federal officials said.
She had even sought the assistance of police and obtained a protective order against Trent.
Her phone contained threatening text messages from Trent, according to authorities.
The three people who were inside the home when the fire started were able to evacuate without injury, federal officials said.
Investigators looking into the arson found a video of Trent "inquiring about his 'cousin' that he said lived in the residence."
Investigators noted that Trent appeared nervous and drove away from the scene in a black sedan.
Trent later spoke to a local news station and compared his actions to the Shakespearean tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and even said "if I can't have her, nobody can, or at least no one in Baltimore," federal officials said.
Trent faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for malicious destruction of property by fire, according to authorities.