A Mobile man surrendered to authorities Monday afternoon after being named a person of interest in a suspicious house fire that investigators say followed a heated argument with a relative.
Michael Anthony Mauldin, 28, turned himself in to Mobile Fire-Rescue Department investigators around 2 p.m. Monday. Hours earlier, fire officials had publicly asked for the community’s help locating him in connection with a blaze at his uncle’s home.
The fire broke out Friday afternoon at a residence on Carter Avenue, between Jesse and Main streets. Firefighters arriving at the scene found flames coming from the home’s windows. Investigators determined the fire had been intentionally set, according to MFRD spokesman Steve Huffman.
Huffman said Mauldin and his uncle had gotten into an argument shortly before the fire started, and that the dispute appeared to be connected to how the blaze began. After reviewing the evidence gathered at the scene, investigators moved to bring second-degree arson charges against Mauldin once he was in custody.
Mobile Fire-Rescue Department crews credited quick response times with keeping the fire from spreading to neighboring structures on the residential street. No injuries were reported in connection with the blaze.
Second-degree arson is a felony offense in Alabama, and cases involving a private home typically draw significant scrutiny from fire investigators given the risk to occupants and neighboring properties. MFRD has not released additional details about the specific nature of the dispute that preceded the fire.
The case adds to a string of suspicious fires that Mobile fire investigators have worked through the spring, with department officials continuing to urge residents to report any information related to open arson investigations. Anyone with additional information about the Carter Avenue fire was asked to contact MFRD directly.
Mauldin’s case will proceed through the Mobile County court system following his surrender. As with other pending arson cases, additional details are expected to emerge as the investigation and any subsequent prosecution move forward.