Maryland State Police are warning about what they called “a potentially deadly activity (that) has been causing several victims to receive serious burn injuries resulting from pouring a liquid accelerant on their bodies and setting themselves on fire.” Known as the fire challenge, it’s done in front of a camera and posted on social media, according to police. “Several emergency rooms across the country have reported receiving victims with significant burn injuries to their upper torso and extremities.  A 15-year-old male succumbed to his injuries in Buffalo, N.Y., as a direct result of the activity,” police said. No reports have been received by Maryland’s Fire Marshal’s Office. “Most news interviews concerning this activity reveal that young survivors did not give any thought of the potential for being severely injured or even killed because they did not understand the fire would become so intense,” police said in a news release.

Salisbury man died from drowning

Salisbury city police reported the official cause of death of a man found near City Park June 16 was accidental drowning, now that the autopsy report is complete.

The victim was Rodney Elliott Stevenson Jr., 25, of Salisbury, police said.

A walker in the park reported the body in the water  near Snow Hill Road.

An investigation revealed Stevenson left home on Ohio Avenue around 8:30 that morning and was walking in the area of East Main Street.

On June 17 the medical examiner conducted an autopsy. The preliminary determination was that he had died from head trauma and that there was no signs of foul play.

On July 29, the chief medical examiner confirmed  the official cause of death and said alcohol and drugs were not factors.

Police said findings are consistent with the investigation conducted by the Salisbury Police Department.

Suspect sought in Walmart purse theft

Police are looking for a woman they believe stole a purse from a shopping cart at Walmart on North Salisbury Boulevard the afternoon of July 30.

Police said an investigation determined a woman followed several elderly female customers around the store, eventually stealing a purse from an unattended shopping cart when the victim became distracted.

The woman then left the store in a silver or gray four-door sedan, police said.

Police said they are looking for a Hispanic female, 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with a medium build and brown hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-548-3165.

Delmar blaze causes $95,000 in damages

Nobody was injured in a house fire in Delmar early Saturday morning, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The fire started at 1:31 a.m. in the 400 block of East State Street and caused $80,000 damage to the house and $15,000 damage to contents of the two-story wooden home, owned by Tanesha Purnell, according to the fire marshal’s office.

Thirty-five firefighters from the Delmar, Hebron and Salisbury Station 2 responded and it took them one hour to control the blaze.

The fire started in the kitchen.

The preliminary cause was unattended cooking.

The American Red Cross also responded.