A historic South Florida landmark narrowly escaped destruction after a woman allegedly attempted to set the childhood home of former governor and US senator Bob Graham on fire. Miami-Dade Police arrested Angela Taylor, 37, on Friday morning, with authorities claiming she tried to burn down the Hialeah Gardens residence.
Officers, seeking to quickly douse the flames, arrived at the scene to find a "large and actively burning" fire. Taylor was reportedly seen hastily running away from the property. According to Local 10 News, the suspect had a red lighter on her person and was covered in soot and ash at the time of her capture. Taylor stated that she "had the right to be in the building because she believed she owned the land it was on," despite authorities noting no evidence of any legal claim.
The fire, which reportedly started in the kitchen area of the Graham House, was extinguished by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. The home, built in 1924 by Graham's father, Ernest R. "Cap" Graham, rests off Okeechobee Road and has been a designated historical site since 1982. It is currently fenced and adorned with "no trespassing" signs, per the official report.
During the subsequent investigation, police determined the incident to be an unequivocal case of arson. According to NBC Miami, Taylor was slapped with charges of burglary and first-degree arson. Described as homeless, with a last known address in Fort Walton Beach, she is currently being held without bond at Miami-Dade County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
The significance of the Graham House lies not just in its historical age but also in its connection to a figure prominent in the political and social tapestry of Florida. Bob Graham, now 87, is a revered name in Sunshine State politics, having served as both governor and a U.S. senator over a political career spanning from 1979 to 2005. The attempts on his childhood home have garnered widespread attention, though Taylor's motives remain largely unclear beyond her own alleged assertion of property ownership.
