A Maryland woman was charged with attempted murder, arson and assault after witnesses say they saw her set a house on fire while a person was trapped in its basement. The person in the basement was able to escape the home.
The Maryland state Fire Marshall said that on April 29, witnesses observed Gail J. Metwally, 47, allegedly “setting multiple fires within the home” and then watching the home burn while sitting in a chair on the lawn.
Metwally was arrested near the home in Elkton shortly after the incident and transported to the Maryland State Police North East Barrack, where she was charged with first and second degree attempted murder, first degree arson, first degree assault, and other charges, the Maryland Fire Marshal said in a press release.
In a Snapchat video that was verified by NBC News, a bystander records Metwally in what appears to be an argument with a man and a woman at the home.
After flames appear inside the home, and for multiple clips of the Snapchat video, Metwally appears to be sitting on a lawn chair and reading a book as the fire grows.
The fire marshal said that bystanders helped a victim who was trapped in the home and confirmed that a “total of 4 people resided in the home, including Metwally.” The two residents aside from Metwally and the person in the basement were not home at the time.
In the video, the person holding the camera rushes toward the burning house and another person comes forward to assist a woman as she emerges from a basement window while smoke and flames pour from the roof and upper floor.
The Maryland Office of the Public Defender, which is representing Metwally, did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment.
According to state records Metwally is being held without bond and is set to appear in court on June 2.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
