Dakota Harper, 21, and Felicity Eatmon, 22, were charged after a fire destroyed an abandoned home in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue on Charleston’s West Side. The complaint ties the case to surveillance video and a fire that spread to nearby property.
Both were charged with conspiracy to commit arson and first-degree arson. They were arrested and arraigned on Tuesday and were being held on $10,000 bond.
Maryland Avenue fire timeline
The fire was reported about 11:15 p.m. on Sunday. Smoke lingered in the area through Monday morning as the remains smoldered, and investigators said the home had no active utilities.
Investigators obtained surveillance video showing Harper and Eatmon in an adjacent alleyway before the fire. The complaint said Eatmon gave Harper what appeared to be a piece of paper, then lit it and placed it inside the home.
Canaan United Methodist Church damage
The complaint said the pair could be seen partially entering the home while the fire continued to grow. It also said Eatmon left the area after the fire grew, while Harper had already left the camera’s field of view.
The blaze left the abandoned home destroyed and caused more than $10,000 in estimated damage to the adjacent Canaan United Methodist Church. For nearby property owners, the case now turns on the complaint’s timeline and the court’s next steps in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
