The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Wisconsin woman was accused of intentionally setting fire to a barn following the end of a relationship.
The fire occurred on June 10 at a property in Door County. Emergency crews responded just before 9 p.m. and found the barn fully engulfed in flames. Authorities said no one was on the property at the time, and the structure contained no animals.
Fire investigators later determined the blaze was suspicious since it appeared to have started on the north side of the barn where there was no electrical equipment.
The property owner told the authorities he had recently ended a relationship with a woman who had been living with him. He allegedly said she moved out several days earlier after taking most of her belongings and household supplies, since they were hers.
Authorities interviewed the woman multiple times. During an initial interview, she allegedly denied knowing anything about the fire and described spending part of the day at the property before later attending other activities. In a later interview, investigators said she changed her account, and she claimed she had only briefly stopped by the property.
As questioning continued, investigators alleged that the woman’s explanations became increasingly inconsistent. According to a criminal complaint, she eventually admitted she had used a small ignition device to light insulation paper inside the barn. She allegedly told investigators that after the fire spread, she left the property and later discarded the device.
The woman reportedly said she became upset after discovering messages on the property owner’s phone involving another woman. According to investigators, she explained that the two had once planned to build a future together at the property. After the relationship ended, she allegedly did not want someone else to share those plans.
The woman was arrested on June 15. She was charged with one count of arson of a building without the owner’s consent, with an enhanced penalty because the alleged victim was elderly.
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.