Death of immigrant who was found after Baltimore fire ruled a homicide

Todd Karpovich, The Baltimore Sun on Aug 25, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

BALTIMORE — The death of a 31-year-old man whose body was found at a ground-floor apartment fire in Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood has been ruled a homicide, the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday.

The ruling provides the first official determination of the manner of death for Cheikh Dieng, a Senegalese immigrant whose death has been investigated by Baltimore police as a homicide.

Authorities responded to a fire in the 2300 block of Round Road at about 10 p.m. on June 9. When firefighters arrived, they found Dieng’s body outside the building. Police said the fire was intentionally set.

Police confirmed that the person killed was Dieng, who came to the United States “in search of a better life,” according to a GoFundMe fundraiser organized to help return his body to Senegal for burial.

Police previously said they were “not at liberty” to confirm the manner or cause of death while the investigation was ongoing.

“His sudden and violent passing has left his family, friends, and all who knew him in deep shock and grief,” the organizers wrote on GoFundMe.

The medical examiner’s homicide ruling confirms that Dieng’s death was the result of a criminal act, though police have not announced an arrest or publicly provided additional details about how he was killed.

According to the fundraiser, Dieng was a husband and father. Organizers said their goal is to return his body to his homeland, with any additional funds going to his family, who they said are facing “unimaginable loss and hardship.”

The Baltimore Police Department continues to investigate the killing and the fire.

-----------