- Taija Russell, 29, of Gloucester Township, New Jersey, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a fire that destroyed a man’s home in Woodbury on August 4, NJ.com reported.
- She was charged with attempted murder and aggravated arson over the blaze, which left the man with burns, the NJ.com report said.
- The man told the police that he invited Russell over, describing her as “a ‘side chick’ whom he had been having a sexual relationship with,” a police report obtained by the Cherry Hill Courier-Post said.
- The man said he fell asleep after inviting her over, awoke to flames at 4:30 a.m., and bolted from the home.
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A New Jersey woman is accused of setting a man’s house on fire after he invited her over for a late-night hookup but fell asleep.
Taija Russell, 29, of Gloucester Township, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a fire that destroyed the man’s home in Woodbury on August 4, NJ.com reported.
She was charged with attempted murder and aggravated arson over the blaze, which left the man with burns, the NJ.com report said.
A police report obtained by the Cherry Hill Courier-Post said the man told officers that he invited Russell over, describing her as “a ‘side chick’ whom he had been having a sexual relationship with.”
The man said he then fell asleep, awoke to flames at 4:30 a.m., and bolted from the home.
While he was sleeping, he received eight missed calls from Russell and texts that said "You wasted my money to come out here," "U smoked," and "I see you wanna die," the police said, according to NJ.com.
The police said that security footage showed Russell buying lighter fluid, matches, and a lighter from a gas station before going to the man's door, where officers say she then started the fire.
The man escaped by climbing through a window, then ran to Woodbury's police station and "frantically" announced his home was on fire, the police said, according to the Courier-Post. He was later taken to a hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and first- and second-degree burns.
Firefighters responded to the fire and saved the man's dog, the reports said. But the police report obtained by the Courier-Post said that "the residence and its contents were completely destroyed."
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