A Hornell woman is facing felony charges after police say she started a fire inside her apartment while broadcasting the act on Facebook Live.
Officers responded to 52 ½ Fulton Street in the early hours of Oct. 22 after someone alerted them to the video, according to Hornell Police Chief Ted Murray.
When police arrived, they found a fire smoldering in the apartment and quickly put it out. Firefighters checked the building for hidden flames in the walls of the multi-unit structure and cleared the scene.
Investigators say 42-year-old Angela Smith lit paper towels on fire and shoved them into a hole in her wall. She was charged with second-degree arson and first-degree reckless endangerment, both felonies, along with criminal mischief.
Smith was arraigned and held at the Steuben County Jail on $1,000 bail. Hornell’s building inspector later condemned the apartment due to the damage.
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