When a man invited a woman to his home for sex and failed to answer the door when she arrived, the woman allegedly set fire to his house in retaliation for her reported humiliation.
In the middle of the night on August 4, a Woodbury, NJ, man gave a call to a woman with whom he shares occasional sexual relations. He asked the woman, 29-year-old Taija Russell if she would like to come to his home for a tryst.
Russell accepted the proposal and headed to her lover’s residence at approximately 4:00 am.
When she knocked on the front door the man, who had dozed off with his dog, did not hear her and she was left standing on the porch.
In a purported attempt to rouse the man from his sleep Russell allegedly began to call and send text messages to his cell phone, but he did not hear the ringing or notifications.
When the man awoke his house was filled with smoke and the front door and surrounding area were on fire, prevented him from exiting the home with his dog.
The man did not have another way out of the residence, so he removed one of the window frames and climbed through. He then dashed a few blocks to the nearest police station and alerted them about the house fire before making his way back to his flaming dwelling.
Firefighters arrived at the address and rescued the dog from inside. They extinguished the flames, but the structure and contents within had already been consumed. When the scene was investigated it was determined that the cause of the fire was likely arson.
The homeowner was taken to the hospital for treatment of reported burns and smoke inhalation.
The authorities allegedly learned that the content of Russell’s texts to the man contained a threat against his life, in addition to expressing anger about the money it had cost her to get to his house.
Footage of Russell at the alleged victim’s home at the time of the event was reportedly obtained, and the police reviewed surveillance video from a gas station very close to the scene where a woman fitting Russell’s description had entered and purchased a lighter, matches, and a container of lighter fluid.
On August 13, it was decided that enough probable cause pointed to the woman as the suspect, and Russell was taken into custody. She was charged for suspicion of attempted murder, aggravated arson, endangering, and criminal mischief. It was determined that Russell would be held without bail for the allegations.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.