Police: Man found dead in Rockville house shot himself, dog before explosion

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Investigators say the man who lived in the Rockville home that exploded early Friday shot and killed himself and his dog before the blast.

The medical examiner confirmed Monday that 61-year-old Steven Martin Beck was found dead in the basement of the home on Ashley Drive in the Randolph Hills neighborhood.

Investigators have not found what caused the explosion that was felt over a mile away or determined whether it was intentional.

Dejan Jovanovic, who moved to the United States from Serbia, lives in the home closest to Beck's. His house is now condemned and he says the room where his 6-year-old twin sons were sleeping was just feet away from the blast.

"Turn on the light, glass all over, all the windows blown out," he recounted.

He says he did not know if his sons were alive when he grabbed them from their beds and ran with them from the room.

"They are okay," Jovanovic said. "Big shock for them. They were back to school today with their friends and hopefully they will be fine."

He says the fire marshal told him the bamboo Beck had around his home prevented his own roof from being blown off.

"It is pretty damaged, but hopefully soon, we will be back in our home," Jovanovic said.

He did not want to talk about his experiences with his neighbor prior to his death.

Other neighbors say Beck was a neighborhood handyman who became a recluse several years ago. His home was in foreclosure and up for auction, and investigators say he had been illegally using gas for several months. It had been shut off in 2015.

FOX 5 reached one of Beck's family members who declined to comment. Neighbors say they can't believe Beck killed his pit bull, Max - his only companion.

"That was his family," said neighbor Peter Rice.

Some people left dog bones near the home while others, including Rice, left flowers.

"It was devastating," Rice said of his neighbor's death. "It was really sad because you really understood the depths of despair that he was in."