Three Whitman Students Arrested in Arson At School

Update, 8p.m.: The three Whitman students arrested for throwing an incendiary device and causing a small fire at the school late Friday are also being charged in an additional fire at White Flint Neighborhood Park.

Investigators from the county fire and rescue services’ fire and explosives unit arrested three individuals on Monday afternoon in connection with fires at Walt Whitman High School and the White Flint Neighborhood Park, said Assistant Chief Scott Graham, a spokesman with the county fire and rescue service.
 
Wyatt Randall Peter Dentel, 19, was charged with one count each of second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and malicious destruction of property in connection to a March 20 incident in which playground equipment at the park was set on fire.
 
Dentel was also charged with one count each of second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and malicious destruction of property in connection with the Whitman fire.
 
Dentel is a county resident, but no further information was available about his residence, Graham said.
 
Two juveniles, both 17 years old and students at Whitman, were charged with one count each of second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and malicious destruction of property in the park fire and two counts each of second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and malicious destruction of property in the Whitman fire. WTOP is reporting that Dentel is the third Whitman student.

Graham said he couldn't disclose why the juveniles were charged with multiple counts in the school fire, citing the ongoing investigation.
 
Dentel is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Center.

Original Post: TBD is reporting that three Walt Whitman High School students have been arrested after someone threw an

The device started a small fire and set of the sprinklers, damaging classrooms on the first and second floor.

Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Dana Tofig confirmed the Whitman students were arrested on a "variety" of charges. The students were two juniors and one senior, he said.

At school, the maximum penalty the students would face would be 10 days of suspension with recommendation for expulsion, Tofig said, though he couldn't speak to what punishment the students would receive.