Local woman charged after police say she started a fire and caused over $100k in damages
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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls woman is accused of causing over $100,000 in damage in a fire at a townhome.
Monica Patricia Quinton, 46, was charged with one felony count of first-degree arson.
If she is found guilty, she faces up to 25 years in jail and or a fine of $100,000.
According to court documents, the Idaho Falls Fire Department was called to a multi-unit townhome near Rising Sun Road around midnight on Sept. 2.
Flames were emanating from the window, and smoke was billowing from the home.
Once inside, firefighters found the fire had begun in the kitchen and was extinguished.
An investigator said the fire was intentionally started, with the origin located in the sink. Due to the possibility that it may be an arson-related matter, the Idaho Falls Police Department was notified.
The document states that IFPD had responded to multiple calls for service involving Quinton, with the last call occurring four hours before.
The last call came from a neighbor telling dispatch that the person living in the home, identified as Quinton, had talked “about killing some b****.”
When the fire was reported, police found Quinton a half-mile away, and she was taken into custody due to another matter.
The document states the woman told officers, “There is a fire over there we started together,” and “There is a fire over there, this is an emergency. I am serious.
A search warrant was conducted at the residence, and fire debris was collected. The debris was tested, and no accelerant was found; however, a possible cause was identified as paper ignited by Quinton.
The damage was found to have affected most of the kitchen area, with smoke and heat damage occurring throughout the home.
The other units attached to the townhome were occupied at the time of the fire, and the damage to the structure was estimated at $132,185.
Quinton is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Jacob Workman for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. Nov. 21.
Although Quinton has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.