Woman Sets Fire to Man’s House After Sex Invitation
- Cops then learned of texts sent by Russell to the victim, which included: "I see you wanna die" and "you wasted my money to come out here”
- Taija Russell (35) of Gloucester Township was arrested in connection with the blaze that destroyed the home at 217 South Barber Avenue more than six years ago.
- Woodbury police say she sent a series of angry texts to the man sleeping inside before buying lighter fluid, matches and a lighter at a nearby gas station...
Cops then learned of texts sent by Russell to the victim, which included: “I see you wanna die” and “you wasted my money to come out here”
Taija Russell (35) of Gloucester Township was arrested in connection with the blaze that destroyed the home at 217 South Barber Avenue more than six years ago.
Woodbury police say she sent a series of angry texts to the man sleeping inside before buying lighter fluid, matches and a lighter at a nearby gas station at 4am on the morning of August 4, 2019.
She then lit a fire outside the doorway to the man’s home, but fled as the flames spread, according to a probable cause statement for her arrest.
News in 90 Seconds – Tuesday, November 11
The victim awoke around half an hour later to find flames blocking the exit from his smoke-filled residence. He escaped by removing a window frame and climbing through the opening, police said.
The man, described as “covered head to toe in soot and ash” and wearing only a T-shirt, then ran to the nearby Woodbury police station.
He “frantically” announced that his residence was burning, then ran back to his home, says the probable cause statement.
The victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and first- and second-degree burns, according to police.
Firefighters from Woodbury and surrounding towns responded to the blaze, saving the man’s dog.
“The residence and its contents were completely destroyed,” says the probable cause statement, which notes the fire was determined to be an arson.
Police then learned of texts sent by Russell to the victim, which included: “I see you wanna die” and “you wasted my money to come out here.”
The victim’s phone also showed eight missed calls.
The man told police he’d invited Russell to his home “and stated that she was a ‘side chick’ whom he had been having a sexual relationship with,” the statement adds.
Video surveillance also showed the woman outside the man’s house “just prior to the fire” and making a purchase at a Conoco station on Mantua Pike, police said.
In a court hearing last Friday, Russell pleaded guilty to aggravated arson, a second degree felony. In a plea deal, prosecutors have agreed to recommend an eight-year prison term, of which Russell will be statutorily required to serve more than six-and-a-half years.
Russell was indicted on five other charges, including attempted murder and aggravated assault.
As part of the deal, prosecutors will move to dismiss those counts when she is sentenced on January 9.