A Milwaukee woman has been charged with multiple felonies following an apartment fire that lead to the evacuation of 150 residents and injured several, including cases of smoke inhalation requiring hospital treatment. Forty-eight-year-old Laquita Lashell Spears stands accused of arson of a building and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, as per a criminal complaint obtained by WISN. The incident occurred on January 13 at the New Hampton Gardens Apartments near 22nd Street and Hampton Avenue.
According to CBS 58, this is the third time Spears has been charged with such an offense, with prior arson convictions in 2015 and 2022. The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the blaze which was initially detected in the living room of Spears' father's apartment where she had been staying after being kicked out of a shelter. Spears' father discussed the events with authorities, detailing an altercation regarding money that escalated leading to the fire.
During the fire incident, several residents were seen hanging out of windows, prompting the fire department to execute ladder rescues. In total, six units were rendered uninhabitable with the Red Cross stepping in to provide aid for fifteen of the displaced residents, as reported by FOX6 News.
Spears, who was arrested days later, confessed to squirting "the charcoal" fluid on a jacket atop a couch and on a basket of clothes before igniting it. "Spears stated she was not intending to hurt anyone and did not think the fire would spread the way it did," as stated in a complaint cited by WISN. Despite this claim, the danger to residents was significant, with several sustaining injuries amidst the chaos. Spears is set to appear in court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, as further proceedings unfold.
