Area woman charged with second-degree arson; being held on bond

A Scott City woman was charged with second-degree arson Wednesday, Nov. 8, following allegations that she had made threats to burn down the house.

Patricia Leigh Graf faces the charges after a witness said he saw her at the Lakeview Drive home while the house was on fire, according to a signed probable-cause affidavit filed by Scott County deputy Michael Valentine.

Valentine wrote in the affidavit he arrived at the home while it was on fire and talked to a neighbor. The neighbor told Valentine, according to the report, he had seen smoke coming from the direction of the neighbor's house, then watched as the smoke became thicker. The witness asked Graf what happened and she stated she was burning some boxes and the fire got "out of control", according to the report.

Valentine then contacted the homeowner, who told the officer that Graf had made threats to burn the house down, the affidavit states. The homeowner said Graf told him, "Something bad will happen. I mean, the electricity will (expletive) pop and there will be a fire. I'll be standing here, and you'll piss me off and that will happen. Yes it will. A fire will start, without use of lighter or any type of flame."

While the homeowner was talking to the deputy, Graf called him and told him where she was. Another deputy then detained Graf.

Valentine wrote that officers found a box of matches, a container of lighter fluid and burnt cardboard boxes. A Sikeston, Missouri, K-9 unit dog alerted to the scent of accelerant on the cardboard boxes, the report said. Graf told a different deputy she used the lighter fluid and matches to light the cardboard box.

The charge of second-degree arson is a Class D felony, which could result in a prison term of up to seven years and $10,000. Graf is being held on a $75,000 cash or surety bond and upon release has been ordered to have pretrial supervision and no contact with the victim or the victim's property.