Aberdeen Dad In Home As Son Sets Fire, Attempted Murder Charge Filed: MD Fire Official

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — An Aberdeen man faces numerous charges, including attempted murder, after setting fire to the home he shared with his father, investigators said.

On March 31 around 12:40 a.m., the Aberdeen Fire Department and neighboring fire departments responded to a call for help at 13 North Post Road. The Aberdeen Police Department arrived first and found 27-year-old Patrick Joseph Brinsfield, who admitted to setting the house on fire, the state fire marshal's office said in a news release.

A witness on his way home saw the fire, knocked on the door, then had to kick it in when no one responded. It wasn't until the witness burst into the house that Brinsfield's father learned there was a fire on the second floor of the home; he was in the basement, according to the fire marshal's office.

The Aberdeen Police Department took Patrick Brinsfield to Harford Memorial Hospital for a precautionary evaluation. Investigators, with the assistance of K9 Kachina, determined the fire was intentionally set.

Patrick Brinsfield was arrested after being discharged from the hospital and taken to the Harford County Detention Center. He is being held without bond.

The younger Brinsfield has been charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree arson, first- and second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment.