Suspect Arrested in Liberty Court Arson Case 6-30-2020

Incident Number: 50-20-16191

Date/Time:  Monday, June 29th, 2020 at 6:29AM

Location:  Liberty Court Apartments, 1289 Walker Road, Dover, DE

Officer Releasing Information:   Sergeant Mark Hoffman, Public Information Officer

Narrative: 

The Dover Police Department arrested Benjamin Glanden (35) of Dover, for arson and other related charges on Monday afternoon.  At approximately 6:29AM, officers responded to Liberty Court Apartments for a report of a white male setting a fire.  Upon arrival, officers located a bottle on fire and were able to extinguish it.  Witnesses advised officers that Glanden  seemed irate and threw the bottle on the roof of one of the buildings, causing damage to the roof, siding, and gutters.

During the investigation, officers located damaged gas meters on one of the buildings and a damaged golf cart nearby.  The gas meters were damaged by Glanden with a sledgehammer.  It was later determined that the golf cart was one that had been previously reported as stolen by Bayhealth.  When the golf cart became disabled, Glanden left, and later returned in a dark SUV seen in the images below.

Dover Police Crime Scene Investigation Detectives were able to obtain fingerprints from evidence located at the scene and were able to get a match.  On Monday afternoon, the Dover Police Department and the First State Fugitive Task Force took Glanden into custody at his home without incident.  Glanden was also still wearing the same clothing as he was in the images from the Liberty Court incident on Monday morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Glanden was committed to SCI on a $32,100 secured bond on the following offenses:
-Arson 1st Degree
-Attempted Arson 1st Degree
-Receiving Stolen Property
-Criminal Mischief (2x)
-Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree