Possible link between fire, teen's death probed
Officials are investigating a possible link between a suspicious fire early Wednesday at a house in Odenton and the homicide of a 14-year-old boy in Crofton last weekend that may be tied to youth gangs. Anne Arundel County police are working with fire investigators, who called the small 3 a.m. blaze at the exterior of a house in the 2600 block of Lotuswood Court malicious. At a meeting on youth violence Wednesday night in Crofton called by county officials, a woman said she thought her family was targeted because of talk that her teenage son was involved in the death of Christopher David Jones, an accusation she said was false. Bicycling near his home Saturday afternoon, Christopher was beaten, and as he pedaled away, fell and hit his head. Two teenagers who live near Christopher admitted to punching him and were charged with manslaughter: Javel M. George, 16, and a 14-year-old. Students and parents in the area have blamed warring teenage gangs TNT and ESD for Christopher's death, although the victim was not in a gang. His family had him transferred weeks earlier from Arundel to South River High School because of threats against him. Concerns have been raised about possible racial overtones because the youths charged are black, and the victim was white; police said that though they are not sure of the motive, the attack does not appear to be racial.
