Brighton Woman Charged with Arson, Attempted Murder

BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2013—A Brighton woman was ordered held on high bail and sent for evaluation during her arraignment today on charges that she set a building on fire, trapping two people inside, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

LISA BROWN (D.O.B. 5/18/64) was arraigned in Brighton District Court on a charge of arson and two counts each of attempted murder and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.  Judge Annette Forde set bail at $250,000 and ordered Brown to undergo evaluation at Worcester State Hospital.

Boston firefighters responded to a fire in a three-story building on Jette Court shortly before 4:30 a.m. yesterday.  Firefighters arrived to find smoke showing from the building and a man and woman trapped inside.  Both were rescued and transported to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

According to prosecutors, Brown was at the apartment when she became involved in an argument with the two victims.  During the course of the argument, the victims locked themselves in a bedroom.  Brown allegedly made threats and banged on the bedroom door, prosecutors said.  Part of the incident was captured on video by one of the victims, prosecutors said.

The victims then began to smell lighter fluid and heard the click of a lighter, prosecutors said.  After seeing flames and smoke under the bedroom door, one of the victims opened the bedroom door and found Brown holding a knife and blocking their exit, according to prosecutors.

The victims retreated to the bedroom and called the fire department.  They tried to exit the bedroom door again, but prosecutors said it had been locked from the outside with a dead bolt.

Brown was not at the scene when firefighters arrived, but she later returned, prosecutors said.  She walked away from fire investigators but was soon arrested at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Fidelis Way.  In her possession, investigators found a kitchen knife, lighter fluid, and two lighters, prosecutors said.

Brown was represented for bail purposes by attorney Terry Stone.  She will return to court on Aug. 23.

 

 

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.