STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — Editors Note: The video above is from a story WUSA9 did on July 18, 2022.
A 19-year-old Michael Bowling is facing two charges of arson, grand larceny and destroying vehicles in Stafford County, but it doesn't end there as deputies say he will now face even more charges after he was in custody.
On Saturday, July 16, just after 1:30 a.m. Stafford Fire and Rescue were sent to a reported vehicle fire on the 100 block of Hamlin Drive in the Grafton Village area.
Once the fire department arrived, they found a vehicle that was engulfed in flames. That fire was put out quickly, but while units were returning to base, the fire department found another vehicle fully involved and on fire a few blocks away in the 600 block of Culpeper Street.
The Stafford County Fire Marshal's Office arrived at the scene and started investigating the vehicle fires and quickly launched a joint investigation with Stafford County Sheriff's office.
On Sunday, July 17, just after 1 a.m. Stafford Sheriffs received a report of a stolen vehicle near Hamlin Drive and Jett Street in the Grafton Village area.
The vehicle was found abandoned nearby, and Stafford County Fire Marshal's and Stafford County Sheriff's Deputies began to investigate that scene as well.
Stafford Sheriff's Sergeant Demirci and his K-9 partner Titan were able to track Michael Bowling and were able to subdue and detain him after a brief standoff.
"I can't understand somebody doing that," neighbor Donald Swanlund said. "I'm just glad to hear they got him" is quote we got from our earlier coverage of this story.
The Stafford County Fire Marshal's Office charged Bowling with two counts of arson involving more than one vehicle and the Sheriff's Office charged Bowling with grand larceny and destroying a vehicle.
Since his arrest, Bowling was found to be connected to at least six other criminal acts in the Gratton Village community.
Deputies were able to connect him to four larcenies from a vehicle and two vehicle thefts where bank cards, drivers’ licenses, house keys, and even a fourteen-karat diamond ring have been recovered and returned to the rightful owners.
"We don't have a motive, it was just random acts," said Maj. Jason Dembowski of the Stafford Co. Sheriff's Office.
According to deputies, Bowling will be charged, additionally, with three counts of felony grand larceny, as well as, nine counts of misdemeanor tampering with vehicles.
He is still being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.