Hate Crime Charges Filed Against One of Two Suspects in Davidsonville Arson-Murder Case Regarding Separate Incident at The Summit School

One of the two suspects charged in connection with a recent Davidsonville arson-murder case is now also facing hate crime charges stemming from a separate incident that allegedly occurred at The Summit School in Edgewater.

A spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police Department confirmed that an officer responded to the school, which is located at 664 Central Avenue East, on May 15, 2025, at approximately 7:30 a.m. The call was for a vandalism report. The individual who reported the incident stated that someone had entered the school facility overnight and used spray paint to damage school property. It is believed that the vandalism was motivated by hate or bias against members of protected groups, specifically related to religion and sexual orientation, leading to the incident being classified as a suspected hate crime.

Detectives were able to identify 18-year-old Jonah Michael Poole of Davidsonville as a suspect in the vandalism incident. Poole, a recent Southern High School graduate, was served with a warrant related to this incident on June 13, 2025, while he was already in custody at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center. 

Jonah Poole, along with 18-year-old Kylee Alyssa Dakes of Harwood, was taken into custody on May 31, 2025, at a residence on Bethel Lane in Harwood. They were both charged with First and Second Degree Murder, First and Second Degree Assault, Conspiracy to Commit First and Second Degree Murder, and Arson in connection with the death of 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza of Annapolis. Charging Documents Detail Arrests of Kylee Dakes and Jonah Poole, Both 18, for Alleged Roles in Death of Man Found Bound with Tape in a Burning Vehicle in Davidsonville

When contacted by Report Annapolis News this morning, Summit School Executive Director Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy declined to comment on the matter, stating, "I have no comment at this time as this case is under investigation."

To read the charging documents related to the hate crime allegations, go to: Jonah Poole-Summit School Hate Crime Allegations

In addition to the arson-murder and hate crime allegations, Poole is facing charges in a third case related to an alleged commercial burglary which reportedly occurred on May 18, 2025. To view the charging documents in that case, go to: Jonah Poole Commercial Burglary Allegations

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