Arson Threat Leads Police, Firefighters To Evacuate Building

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Loudoun County sheriff’s deputies arrested a Sterling man early Sunday after he got into a fight and threatened to burn down a residence.

Devon Wilkerson, the Sterling resident, was charged with felony threats to burn, according to a police report. The sheriff’s office did not state Wilkerson’s age, or whether he’s being held in jail or was released on bond.

Deputies responded at 1:10 a.m. Sunday to a report of disorderly conduct in the 21100 block of Huntington Square in Sterling, near the interchange of Route 7 and Cascades Parkway. Upon arrival, they saw two men involved in an altercation. Both then fled into a residence, the police report said.

The deputies also smelled a strong odor of gasoline. Witnesses told the deputies the two men had been fighting and one had threatened to burn the building down. The suspect was identified as Wilkerson.

Due to the presence of gasoline, the building was evacuated. Two occupants of the residence surrendered themselves to deputies and were detained at the scene. Wilkerson was found a few blocks away and arrested.

The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Department determined that the building was safe for reentry, the police report said.