22-Year-Old Woman Sets Grandfather's Home On Fire After Feud Over Money

A 22-year-old woman was charged with first-degree arson after confessing to starting a fire that completely destroyed her grandfather's home in Florida. The incident occurred Monday in Eustis, Lake County, where Autumn Rose Walker lived with her grandfather, James Kilfoyle.

Eustis police and firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after and put out the fire. However, the home was declared a total loss, as per a police report.

Investigators spoke with several witnesses, one of whom told them he saw a woman standing behind a green SUV with what looked like a white rag that she lit on fire, Leesburg-News reported.

Another witness told officers she was leaving her house for work when she saw a woman stumbling in the roadway. She took a picture of the woman and gave it to officers, as per the outlet.

Neighbor Elizabeth Price, who was on her porch, saw smoke coming out of Kilfoyle's house. "I saw smoke billowing out the front. No flames but just lots of smoke and then the flames started in the back of the house," Price said, according to Wesh.

"I walked out in the road and it was all in the air," another neighbor named Cory Compton said. "We were walking down there and everything was on fire."

Kilfoyle told officers he got into an argument with his granddaughter after she accused him of taking her money. When he denied taking the money, Walker left the house, saying what sounded like, "You'll remember this."

While she was being arrested, Walker said she wanted to kill her grandfather. The woman, who has lived with her grandfather most of her life, admitted to lighting her mattress on fire while Kilfoyle was home.

Walker reportedly said assumed her grandfather would put out the fire. She also confessed to lighting a sock on fire and had planned to stuff it in the gas tank of Kilfoyle's SUV but bailed out.

Walker revealed she was upset with her grandfather for selling two of her vehicles and not giving her the money. She added she was frustrated and wanted to escape so she lit her mattress on fire because she didn't want to come back to the house.

Neighbors described Walker as a "typical child" whose behavior deteriorated as she turned older.

"As she got older she kept getting into trouble and staying with her grandfather," Price informed. "It is pretty sad that somebody would go to that length to get attention. I think it is what the issue was. It is sad. He has lost everything."

As per Lake County Jail records, Walker was previously charged in February 2021 with domestic battery on a person 65 years of age or older and arrested last year for violating her probation.

The woman was booked in Lake County Jail for first-degree arson and battery on a law enforcement officer on a $12,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Feb. 13.