Baltimore Police have charged a man in connection with a series of fires earlier this year in Hampden that terrified neighbors.

Justin Reeves, 28, of Remington, is facing three counts of first-degree arson, along with one count of malicious burning and reckless endangerment. The fires were set between May 10 and 25.

Reeves appeared on Wednesday before Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa K. Copeland, who scheduled his trial for Feb. 3, 2026, according to court records.

The fires — at least five between October of last year and May — rattled Hampden and left neighbors on edge as buildings near the same stretch of Keswick Road burned again and again.

At least nine properties were damaged and demolished as a result of the fires, which started with one that happened on Oct. 15, 2024 that claimed the lives of Kathy and Matthew Schmale. They were both 63. A second fire burned vacant properties in December, and three more fires followed in May.

Reeves is only charged in the three May fires.

The fires rocked the tight-knit neighborhood of adjoining rowhomes, situated around the corner from the beloved 34th Street block that goes all-out on holiday decorations. Rumors swirled about a possible arsonist as police upped the number of patrols in the area and set up a portable streetlight.

Here’s how police reported that they tracked Reeves down:

The Baltimore City Fire Department responded not long before 3:30 a.m. on May 10 to a vacant home on Keswick Road, between Hubner and West 34th streets, and found that the garage door was on fire.

Firefighters quickly put out the fire, and a K-9 alerted to the “possible presence of an ignitable liquid.”

Surveillance video from a nearby house captured the arsonist. His face was visible.

Four days later, firefighters were called just before 2:15 a.m. to that same home for another fire.

Law enforcement classified it as arson. Investigators tracked down surveillance video showing the man who set the fire.

Then, firefighters came out at about 1 a.m. on May 25 to a home on West 37th Street, between Conduit Avenue and Cairnes Lane, for a fire.

A woman who had been sleeping in a bedroom on the second floor was not harmed.

Investigators recovered another surveillance video. And an anonymous 911 caller alerted police that the man who set the fires was walking in the area of West 36th Street and Falls Road.

Police caught up with the man and identified him. Reeves had on clothes that investigators described as being consistent with what the man who set the second and third fires was wearing in surveillance video.

Detectives then realized that Reeves called 911 several weeks earlier to report a theft from his car.

Officers were able to recover some of his belongings that had been stolen, including a hoodie. It matched the sweatshirt worn by the man who set the first fire.

They also discovered that Reeves used to live at the home where the third fire was set.

Police arrested Reeves on May 29. At a bail review hearing, Reeves’ attorney said that investigators “just don’t have the right person” and argued that his client should be granted home detention until trial.

Baltimore District Judge Rachel E. Skolnik ordered Reeves to be held without bail, believing him to be a “danger to the community” and noting a prior conviction for violating a peace order.

Brianna Nave, a spokesperson for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, declined to comment.

Reeves is being held in the Metropolitan Transition Center.

Pathway Fellowship FMC on Keswick Road was among the properties severely damaged in the fires.

Simone Gibson, pastor at the church, said the church’s services and ministries suffered major disruptions.

“We are grateful to the Baltimore City Police Department and Fire Department and all those officials who were consistent and persistent in ensuring that an arrest was made in this case,” she said. “It is our hope that this arrest will answer questions and bring closure for all who were affected by the fire.”

Councilwoman Odette Ramos, who represents the area, said the fires were traumatic for the community. She praised the work of investigators and neighbors who assisted by providing camera footage and vigilantly watching the neighborhood.

Arsons are notoriously difficult to solve, and Ramos said it’s often frustrating for her and community members when there are few good answers at the end of an investigation.

“It is definitely a relief to know there is a conclusion on this particular one, and I hope we can get conclusions on several others,” she said.

Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that the fires all occurred near the same stretch of Keswick Road, though not all had Keswick Road addresses.