Man facing arson charges in garage fire near Rising Sun

Investigators identified the suspect as 35-year-old Aaron William Repsher.

In March 2014, according to court records and Cecil Whig archives, investigators charged Repsher with making an arson threat after he allegedly threatened to bomb a Cecil County Sheriff’s Office deputy’s home and car during an Elkton-area traffic stop in which he was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The investigation in this latest incident started at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, when Sr. Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver J. Alkire arrived at the residence in the unit block of Wilson Road to investigate the origin and cause of a blaze that destroyed a detached, two-vehicle garage on that property and other belongings, court records show. Repsher has rented that Wilson Road house for about five years, investigators noted.

Matthew Blakely, who is chief of The Community Fire Company of Rising Sun, which served as the on-scene command unit, told Alkire that Repsher was standing on the neighbor’s property when volunteer firefighters battled the blaze, police reported.

Blakely also reported that his fire department had responded to that same address in response to an “illegal burn” a few days earlier and that a pickup truck had been “charred,” police said. That pickup truck, which was parked in the driveway, had been towed at some point before Sunday’s fire, police added.

During his police interview, Repsher told Alkre that he had been home approximately 20 minutes, after riding his bike to North East and back earlier that day, when he discovered the fire in the detached garage, according to court records.

Alkire also interviewed Wilson Road neighbors, who indicated that they were leery of Repsher, court records show. They called 911 after discovering the blaze, police noted.

“They stated they observed heavy smoke coming from the garage, but, in fear of prior incidents with the defendant, they did not leave their property. The neighbors stated they have observed the defendant burning debris multiple nights, if not every night, for the last month,” Alkire outlines in his written statement of probable cause contained in court records.

During his on-scene investigation, Alkire determined that the blaze started in the “rear seat/hatchback area” of a 1992 Ford Mustang, which, registered to Repscher’s estranged wife, was parked inside the garage, police said. The car did not have a battery, which resulted in Alkire eliminating any “unspecified electrical event” as a cause of the blaze, police added.

Then Alkire reinterviewed Repsher, who denied having smoked inside the garage and having engaged in any other activity that could have resulted in a fire, court records show.

After that reinterview, which occurred on a property near the fire scene, another neighbor came up to Alkire and reported that he had observed the fire inside the detached garage at approximately 10 a.m. Sunday, estimating that the flames on the garage floor were about one and a half feet to two feet high, police reported.

That neighbor also expressed concern about interacting with Repsher, court records show.

“He stated he did not call 911, due to being in fear of the defendant,” according to the charging document.

That prompted Alkire to share the new information with Repsher during another interview, police said. At that point, police added, Repsher confessed to intentionally setting the fire.

“The defendant stated he had started a fire inside the garage, but failed to tell the investigator. He stated the fire consisted of paper and cans,” court records allege.

Alkire concluded that the fire was “incendiary in nature,” which means arson, and that Repsher is responsible for deliberately setting the fire, court records show.

Arrested at the scene, Repsher is facing six criminal charges, including two counts of second-degree arson, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison if convicted, according to court records.

Repsher remained in the Cecil County Detention Center on no bond Thursday, three days after his bail review hearing, court records show.

Court records and Cecil Whig archives relating to the March 2014 incident indicate that investigators charged Repsher with second-degree assault, making an arson threat and driving under the influence of alcohol, after CCSO Dfc. William Muller stopped a vehicle driven by Repsher on Fletchwood Road, north of Elkton, about 12:15 a.m. on March 23, 2014.

Muller arrested Repsher and handcuffed him, after Repsher failed to perform field sobriety tests to an acceptable level, police said. Repsher allegedly made his threat to the deputy, after finding himself in custody, police added.

“The suspect said, ‘Do you know who I am? You’ll know who I am when your house and car blow up’,” a CCSO spokesman told the Cecil Whig at the time. “The suspect also told him, ‘I’d tune you up if I weren’t in handcuffs’.”

In December 2014, according to Cecil County Circuit Court records, Repsher received a 10-day jail term – served over five consecutive weekends – after he pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of alcohol.

(Specifically, he received a 60-day sentence with 50 days suspended, and one year of supervised probation after his jail release, court records show.)

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the related charges of making an arson threat and second-degree assault, according to court records.