Man found guilty of starting fire at Waldorf home that killed woman, toddler
WALDORF, Md. - A jury found a man guilty of setting a fire to a Charles County house that left a woman and her 18-month-old daughter dead.
Vincent Anthony Fisher, II, 49, was convicted of two counts of first-degree arson and two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Rashawn Cline and Dashawn Cline.
On March 31, 2022, officers and fire crews responded to a townhome on Heathcote Road in Waldorf for the report of a fire. The home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.
Vincent Anthony Fisher, II
READ MORE: Man charged with arson, murder after fire kills woman, 1-year-old child in Waldorf
Investigators say Fisher, who lived at the residence, was involved in a fight with another resident of the home and a third person before the blaze was started. After the fight, investigators say Fisher intentionally started a fire on a mattress in the living room of the home.
Officials say Fisher left the home as the flames spread to other parts of the house, including an upstairs bedroom where 27-year-old Cline and her daughter, Dashawn, were. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.
The fire completely destroyed the residence. Video from a neighbor’s house captured Fisher walking toward the home before the fire started, according to authorities.
Investigators also say two lighters were discovered in Fisher’s pants when he was apprehended and that he had Phencyclidine (PCP) in his system during the incident.
Authorities say Fisher was told by another resident that he could no longer live at the townhome due to his drug use and that he started the fire on the last night he could stay at the residence.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said the victims were the daughter and grandchild of Fisher’s girlfriend who lived at the house
A sentencing date has been set for December 19, 2024. He faces up to 140 years in prison.