A 47-year-old Ohio woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly firing a gun and setting curtains on fire inside a home during an hours-long argument, authorities say.
Crystal Foster has been charged with first-degree aggravated arson, along with two counts of first-degree aggravated menacing and first-degree using weapons while intoxicated, the latter two being misdemeanours. She is currently being held without bail at the Clermont County Jail, according to a press release from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident unfolded Monday afternoon in Wayne Township, Ohio, a community located between Cincinnati and Dayton. At approximately 4:15 p.m., someone placed a 911 call from a residence in the 5900 block of Newtonsville Road.
According to the sheriff’s office, the caller reported that Foster had discharged a firearm inside the home following an argument “that had continued throughout the day.” That, however, turned out to be only part of what happened.
When deputies arrived roughly 15 minutes later, they found that Foster had already set fire to curtains inside the residence. The flames had been put out by the time authorities reached the scene, and no injuries were reported.
As the investigation continued, deputies said witnesses told them Foster had “intentionally set the home’s curtains on fire” and had announced that she was “going to burn this place down.” Witnesses also described hearing a loud “pop” coming from a bedroom inside the home around the same time.
When questioned, Foster reportedly admitted to deputies that she had been drinking throughout the day and said she fired the gun “to prove a point.” She told investigators she wasn’t sure why she had lit the curtains on fire, but acknowledged that she had been drinking alcohol for much of the day.
Foster allegedly went on to tell detectives that firing the weapon was meant to “show them she was serious and to make a point,” though it remains unclear who exactly “them” referred to or what her relationship was with the witnesses at the scene.
Foster was scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Tuesday morning. Further details about the case, including her plea, had not been released as of the latest update.
The charges she faces carry significant weight — aggravated arson and aggravated menacing are both felony-level offences in Ohio, while using a weapon while intoxicated is treated as a misdemeanour. If convicted, Foster could face substantial prison time given the combination of charges involved.