KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A woman is facing charges of felony arson after allegedly using accelerant to burn a co-worker's house in the Westwood Hills neighborhood.
On May 9, at around 6 p.m., Westwood police officers were dispatched to a reported structure fire at a residence in the 1900 block of West 50th Street.
Authorities said a nearby neighbor had noticed flames coming from a home and called 911.
The owner of that residence, who was not home at the time, reviewed security footage and provided it to police.
The video showed a white female carrying a glass bottle stepping out of a car, which had pulled into the homeowner's driveway.
The woman then poured the liquid from the bottle around one of the home’s windows, a pile of bricks, and a trash can sitting next to the window.
She then lit the paper on fire, which was used to ignite the liquid believed to be an accelerant.
The window and the surrounding area became engulfed in flames instantly as the woman ran back to her car and fled the scene.
The fire ultimately damaged the home's exterior and interior before it was fully extinguished.
Authorities said no one was inside at the time of the fire.
Investigators believed that the glass bottle left behind by the woman contained an accelerant fluid and noted that it smelled like gasoline.
The initial conclusion from fire investigators at the scene was that the fire was intentionally set.
After reviewing the video, the homeowner identified the woman as Ladan Princess Richardson, a former coworker.
Westwood police officers also identified the woman from past contacts.
Richardson was awaiting trial on four prior incidents of property damage and stalking charges that are currently pending disposition in Westwood Hills Municipal Court.
On Thursday, the case was presented to the Johnson County District Court, which issued a felony arson warrant for Richardson's arrest.
Officers served the warrant on Friday when she appeared in the Westwood Hills Municipal Court for her previous charges.
Richardson was booked and held on a $35,000 bond
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