Investigators determined Thursday that an arsonist spilled gasoline from a red plastic cup around the house on Princeton Avenue that killed university student Michael Scrocca in late April.
The gasoline came from a gas can from a neighbors and was not present at the time of a party held earlier that night, said Cpl. Diane Richardson, a police spokeswoman for Prince George’s County Police. She said the can was found on the front porch, where the fire started.
The blaze, which fire investigators determined to be arson in early May, killed 22-year-old Scrocca, who was scheduled to graduate last month. Another resident of the house, 21-year-old Stephen “Tex” Aarons, was critically injured when he landed on a parked car after jumping from the second-story window to escape the fire.
Richardson said investigators interviewed about 20 people, but are still trying to determine who brought the can to the porch and lit the fire. Police estimate that as many as 100 people were at the party. They encourage anyone with information to contact them.
Investigators ruled out a number of possible explanations for the gas can, including that it had been left by landscapers who were at the house the day before the fire.
Richardson said it was unclear what time the arsonist spilled the gas, but the fire department received a phone call regarding the blaze at about 4 a.m.
Tony and Mary Scrocca, Scrocca’s parents, drove from their home in Blanchburg, N.J. to Palmer Park on Thursday to implore media and police for information regarding the death of their son.
– An updated version of this report will appear in Thursday’s Diamondback.