A 51-year-old Hilliard woman has been charged with two counts of arson after she admitted to setting a house on fire while her elderly mother was inside, according to authorities. The fire occurred last Wednesday night in the Hillcrest neighborhood. The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ellen Worley was in the home with her 82-year-old mother when the blaze began. In a statement obtained by FOX28 Columbus, crews responded to the 4700 block of North Hillcrest Street around 9:30 p.m. after multiple calls from neighbors.
During the investigation, Worley reportedly told the Hilliard Police Department that she had purchased a container and gasoline from a nearby gas station. Court documents state that she attempted to start the fire by lighting a T-shirt in the bathroom sink, which went out, and then ignited a bandana in the bedroom. She confessed to pouring gasoline around the bedroom and watching the fire grow, as per an interview Worley gave to Hilliard police cited by 10TV.
The fire caused repercussions for surrounding residents, with one neighbor's house suffering over $1,000 in damages due to melted siding. Multiple neighbors evacuated their homes because of heavy smoke, with at least one family spending the night in a hotel. Reports from the Norwich Township Fire Department also indicate that Worley's actions led to the residence becoming uninhabitable, prompting the Red Cross to step in.
