A woman made a court appearance this morning, charged with setting her boyfriend's Sherman Avenue duplex on fire on Monday. 52 year old Stephanie Krauser was wheeled into court, where a judge set her bond at $25,000 for a charge of aggravated arson.
Her boyfriend spoke with Local 12 News Reporter Angenette Levy about what happened before the fire started.
Standing in front of his charred home... Dan Hardin is stunned his girlfriend of 15 years is charged with setting his duplex on fire. "I really in a way for bad for her. I really do. It's just bad all over. She was having a lot of problems."
Norwood Police say Krauser threatened to set the house on fire early Monday morning. Hardin says he and Krauser had argued. "I got out of here and left the house for a while and I started getting phone calls and everybody was saying, Dan, your house is burning down.'"
Hardin said Krauser was angry because she feared she might go to jail. The 52-year-old had a court appearance on Monday morning for a public intoxication case. Hardin says, "She was just being terrible because she knew she was in trouble and stuff. She was being real aggravating and I tried to help her like I did many times."
After Hardin left the house, court records state the tenant who lived downstairs heard loud banging. "He lives by himself on the first floor and she knocked on his door and told him that the house was on fire."
The man made it out safely. And Hardin returned to find his home in flames. He choked back tears as he described a phone call from Krauser after police took her into custody. "I told her this is probably the last time we're ever going to talk. She admitted to doing it to the police."
Hardin says he's hoping he'll be able to salvage some things from the second floor where he lived. Nut the fire department is calling the home a total loss.
Online court records show Krauser has served time for cocaine possession. She's also been convicted of disorderly conduct and other misdemeanors.
