Pennsylvania Woman Admits To Starting House Fire That Killed Husband; Arrested

A 63-year-old woman in Pennsylvania was arrested after she admitted to setting her Kingston apartment on fire, resulting in the death of her husband.

Lisa M. Starruick-Smalls confessed to igniting several objects, including a pot mixed with cream of wheat and oil, toilet paper, and a fur coat, at her residence in the Green Acres apartment complex on Holiday Drive at around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday while her husband, Wilbert Smalls, was asleep.

Firefighters responding to the scene found the man on the bedroom floor inside the house, according to WNEP. He was pronounced dead as he was being transported to the hospital.

Starruick-Smalls, on the other hand, was found outside her burning apartment when emergency crews arrived. At that time, she claimed she tried to wake up her husband but wasn't able to get him out of the apartment so she left. The woman told responding officers that she last saw her husband in the bedroom.

When she was placed inside an ambulance for a welfare check, Starruick-Smalls reportedly confessed to the police to committing arson. "I'm going to hell, I did it. There's no such thing as insanity, I started the fire," she said, as per Times Leader.

During interrogation, Starruick-Smalls told the detectives that she was in her art room smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer when she decided to ignite the fire while her husband was asleep, PA Homepage reported.

The woman further revealed she put cream of wheat and oil in a pot and increase the stove burner to high, causing smoke in the room. She then placed some toilet paper in a garbage bag and lit it on fire. In addition, she set a fur coat on fire which she put in another bag.

Kingston/Forty Fort Fire Department launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, determining it originated in the art room of the residence.

At least 10 residents from six units of the apartment complex managed to escape the fire, according to Kingston/Forty Fort Fire Chief Frank Guido. They received assistance from the Red Cross. There were no injuries to residents or firefighters.

"It was scary because police were banging on the doors and telling everybody they had to vacate the building it was on fire," said Frank Makaravage, who lived with his wife across the hall from the crime scene, as per WNEP.

Starruick-Smalls was arraigned on seven counts of arson endangering occupied buildings, three counts of arson resulting in danger of death, and one count of reckless burning.