The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A woman has been accused of burning down her boyfriend’s house five days after he was arrested for alleged acts of domestic violence against her.
Kayla Reifsteck and her boyfriend share a home in Champaign, Illinois.
On February 23, Reifsteck’s boyfriend was taken into custody, and he is facing charges for allegations that he caused her physical harm.
Late in the afternoon on February 28, the man’s home was set on fire and burned so badly that it was rendered uninhabitable.
When the authorities responded to the fire, they reported that all of the doors were locked and heavy items were blocking them from being opened.
While collecting evidence to try to discern the cause of the inferno, the authorities gathered footage from a neighbor’s surveillance camera.
The video reportedly depicted a person going into the house a few hours prior to the fire and transporting items from inside the dwelling to a trash can outside.
The garbage receptacle was searched, and Reifsteck’s mail and some of her personal belongings were reportedly found.
When the alleged victim gave a statement regarding the possibility of Reifsteck’s involvement, he said that she was the person in the video and that she previously threatened to light fires in the home.
Reifsteck was contacted by telephone, and she reportedly told the authorities that she had been at the house early in the day.
Acting on an arrest warrant, the police took Reifsteck into custody on March 21. She was booked into the Champaign County Satellite Jail on a $100,000 bond.
She is expected to face charges for residential arson and could spend up to 15 years in prison if she is found guilty.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.