SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 7, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A woman is facing a felony aggravated arson charge after she allegedly set a house fire in Kearns.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County said Larissa Esperanza Wade, 40, is facing the aggravated arson charge, a first-degree felony, as well as:
- Two charges of possession of a controlled substance, schedule I or II, a second-degree felony
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Disorderly conduct, an infraction
Officers and Utah Fire Authority crews were called to a house fire located in Kearns, Saturday at 3:55 a.m., the statement said. The caller said her boyfriend and daughters were in the house.
“Officers arrived, unable to locate anyone in the home due to smoke being to thick,” the statement said.
“The home owner/suspect stated she had drugs in her purse and needed to get her other medications from the home. The suspect got loud and belligerent with UFA fire investigators. Officers were dispatched to the area to help with the suspect.”
It turned out there was no one in the house. Once officers arrived several bags of meth were located where the suspect said they were along with other drug paraphernalia. In the purse next to the bag containing the meth was an unlabeled pill bottle with prescription Soma that belong to the suspect’s boyfriend’s grandmother, the suspect told officers.
Fire investigators found there were several points of ignition in the house. It’s not clear at this early stage why the suspect allegedly set the fire.
Wade was transported to the Salt Lake County Jail with her bail set at $20,000.
