70-year-old woman arrested for allegedly trying to burn down assisted living center

IDAHO FALLS – An elderly woman was recently charged with a felony after she reportedly set her own clothes on fire to try and burn down an assisted living center.

The 70-year-old woman was charged with felony arson.

Due to her mental health concerns, EastIdahoNews.com has chosen not to publish the name or mugshot of the woman charged.

On March 15, a detective with the Idaho Falls Police was called to the Broadway Fields Assisted Living Facility. The facility manager had called dispatch to report one of the residents had “deliberately set her clothes in her room on fire,” according to court documents.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department was also called to the living center.

When the detective arrived, the facility manager stated an elderly woman living at the center had set her clothing on fire and damaged one of the facility rooms, forcing employees to evacuate the building, as other residents were on oxygen tanks, which could have exploded in a fire.

An employee at the living center told the detective that at approximately 8 a.m., he had been making breakfast for the residents when he heard a smoke alarm go off. He thought it was because he was cooking, so he reset the alarm.

A few minutes later, the smoke alarm went off again, and he noticed smoke coming from underneath the woman’s bedroom door.

The employee opened the door to see “(the woman) standing over a pile of clothing that was on fire.” She was reportedly “nude and laughing” while standing just a few feet from the fire.

The employee evacuated the other residents from the building, but the woman who reportedly caused the fire refused to leave. Police reports state the employee “had to physically pick (the woman) up and take her outside.”

The employee was able to get a fire extinguisher and put out the fire before the fire department arrived.

No residents were injured during the incident. The woman was then transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.

During a search of the bedroom, detectives found a “pile of melted clothing and personal property” in the middle of the room. The south and west walls reportedly had fire damage, and a glass window on the south wall was broken.

Detectives also found a lighter located on the pile of burnt clothes.

The employee brought the detective outside to show him more items he had removed and thrown in the snow to extinguish the fire.

The facility manager told the detective that the woman had a history of mental illness, but had “not caused any major problems before today.”

According to police reports, the fire damage was valued at approximately $3,000.

The detective later met with the elderly woman at EIRMC, who reportedly admitted to setting her clothes on fire and said she “wanted to blow up the building.” She was then put on a protective custody hold by hospital staff.

A warrant for her arrest was issued on April 10, and she appeared for an initial appearance in court on Thursday.

Magistrate Judge Brendon Taylor ordered a competency evaluation for the woman, and she is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on June 25.

If convicted, she could face up to 25 years in prison.

Though the woman has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

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