Woman accused of setting a fire in homeless camp
The investigation began after Waco Fire Department units responded to a grass fire behind the Red Roof Inn in the 700 block of South Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard. An arrest affidavit stated the fire was burning in tall grass surrounding the homeless campsite at that location.
The affidavit state that as firefighters were still working to put the fire out, another call came into the 9-1-1 center tell the call taker that a person they thought had started the fire was located near Franklin Avenue and University Parks Drive. Officers responding to that location met with two people who pointed out Heather Simpson as a suspect. She was later contacted in a parking lot by the Alico Building.
After she was detained and read her Miranda rights, the affidavit stated she was at the park all day. She later said she was the only one near the tent and a small fire started and she could not put it out, but did not call 9-1-1.
Man charged with soliciting young girl for sex in park
The affidavit stated that another person at Indian Spring Park who knows the suspect gave a statement saying the suspect told him she had started the fire because she saw her man with another woman.
The affidavit stated that because of inconsistencies in Simpson's story and witness statements, officers believed the tent was set on fire out of jealousy then attempted to put it out but was unable and fled the scene.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Steam room sex assault vics can reach out to Equinox workers, New York appeals court says
A state appeals court has cleared the way for lawyers of those who say they were sexually assaulted inside steam rooms at Equinox gyms to find and contact possible witnesses. The decision is believed to be the first of its kind in a civil case, said Marc Held, an attorney for the victims. Equinox ran to court after Held sent letters to 71 Equinox employees in December 2022 about the now long-running lawsuit, in which 11 people claimed they were 'sexually assaulted, attacked [or subjected to] indecent exposure' in the popular gym chain's steam rooms — and that management knew and did nothing to stop it. Advertisement The company claimed Held should have warned the workers that whatever they said about the alleged sexual assaults could hurt Equinox, and that they should speak with an attorney. Nearly a dozen victims sued Equinox, claiming the gym chain knew its steam rooms were hotbeds of sexual assault. UnitedPhotoStudio – A judge in the Brooklyn case agreed, deciding in April 2023 that Held should have included the legal caution in his brief letter. Advertisement Held appealed, and this week the Second Judicial Department of the state appeals court reversed the earlier ruling. Equinox has denied the allegations, which date back to at least 2018. Christopher Sadowski 'We are pleased that the Appellate Division put an end to Equinox's attempt to obstruct and silence sexual assault victims,' Held told The Post. The 2018 case is ongoing. Advertisement There were so many complaints about the bad behavior that Equinox 'drafted a template response to go out to such victims,' according to court records. Held described Equinox's bid for the legal warning as 'def-facto Miranda rights,' a reference to the description of rights typically given to someone arrested in a criminal case. 'There should be no such requirement or constraints in a civil case,' he said. Equinox lawyers didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Pensacola man traveled to Orlando, stealing Smokey Bear signs along the way, officials say
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) arrested a Pensacola man July 30 for stealing Smokey Bear signs in various state forests all the way to Orlando. Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson posted to Facebook that OALE investigators found the man began stealing the signs as he traveled to Orlando and would resell them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900. "Big thank you to Smokey Bear for assisting in the arrest," Simpson wrote. The News Journal reached out to the OALE for the suspect's name and more information regarding the arrest but did not immediately receive a response. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Smokey Bears signs stolen from state forests Pensacola to Orlando Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
Man stole Smokey the Bear signs at parks, sold them for $1,900 each, FL cops say
An unusual crime spree involving stolen Smokey the Bear signs led investigators to discover they were being sold online for as much as $1,900, Florida officials say. The iconic signs, which promote fire safety, were taken from Florida Forest Service lands where dangerous wildfires erupt in dry conditions. 'Our Ag Law Team has a suspect in custody who traveled from Pensacola to Orlando stealing Smoky Bear signs from our state forests and selling them on Facebook Marketplace,' Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said in a Facebook post. The 29-year-old suspect lives in Milton in the Florida Panhandle, and was arrested July 30 on 'multiple charges of felony grand theft,' state officials said. He is being held in the Okaloosa County jail on $5,000 bond, records show. Investigators did not reveal how many signs were involved in the case. 'The arrest follows an investigation into the recent thefts of Smokey the Bear signs at Florida Forest Service locations across northwest and central Florida,' the state said in an email to McClatchy News. 'The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are expected.' Simpson's July 30 Facebook post had more than 2,700 comments and reactions as of July 31, many questioning the wisdom of posting government property for sale online. The post included photos of someone dressed as Smokey the Bear aiding in the arrest. 'Imagine getting arrested by Smokey the Bear,' Taylor Barton wrote on Simpson's Facebook page. 'Sometimes you get the Bear, sometimes the Bear gets you,' Robert Shorback said. The Florida Forest Service manages 38 state forests and one ranch, totaling over 1,185,632 acres. Its mission includes preventing and mitigating forest fires.
