Woman who confessed to Independence Towers fire charged with arson
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - The woman who confessed to investigators that she ignited a devastating fire at Independence Towers has been charged with arson in the first degree.
fire that ravaged three floors of the Independence Towers Apartments at 728 N. Jennings Rd. in Independence Mo.
Around 4:15 a.m. on June 17, the Independence Fire Department said crews were called to the Independence Towers with reports of a large fire. When they arrived, they found smoke and flames bursting from the second floor of the 11-story building. They were able to extinguish the fire, but not before extensive damage was done.
First responders noted that the tenants in 27 of the 122 apartments were displaced due to smoke and fire damage. No one was injured.
When investigators arrived around 7 a.m., they said they found significant smoke and water damage. The blaze had ignited on the floor of a second-story apartment that had been occupied by Kley. Ignitable fluid found on the floor of the kitchen confirmed it had been intentionally set.
City officials said they condemned the basement, first and second floors due to the extensive damage.
Meanwhile, Kley was found at Centerpoint Medical Center where she was arrested. She told them that she had her husband arrested around 1 a.m. after police were called for a domestic violence incident. She itted she drank a bottle of vodka afterward and began to get angry and destroy the apartment.
Court documents noted that Kley told investigators she poured a cleaning fluid on the kitchen floor and around the stove which she turned on and sat on the couch. She had itted she had intended to be inside the apartment when it went up in flames.
At the time, court records showed that 6 of the 122 units had been occupied at the time of the fire, 5 of which lived on the second floor where the fire started.
Court documents indicated that Kley was given a $50,000 bond with a total lockdown before release.
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