RICHMOND, IN — A Richmond woman has been accused of setting an April 2025 house fire that left her boyfriend’s father with severe burns.
Autumn Reed, 25, was charged on Thursday, July 2, in Wayne Superior Court 2 with arson resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony carrying up to 30 years in prison.
She was also charged with four counts of arson resulting in bodily injury, a Level 3 felony with a maximum 16-year sentence.
In an affidavit, an investigator with the Indiana state fire marshal’s office said when interviewed at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis, Reed — who also suffered severe burns — acknowledged she had doused clothing belonging to her boyfriend with gasoline and then ignited a fire with a lighter.
The blaze on April 17, 2025, destroyed the house at 126 Randolph Street and also caused an explosion. The fire also damaged two neighboring houses in the 100 block of Randolph Street.
Three residents of one of the houses, including two children under the age of 3, were treated for smoke inhalation, as was another neighbor who made rescue attempts.
The father of Reed’s boyfriend, then 51, suffered severe burns to his head and face, among other locations, according to the court documents.
He told the state investigator he awoke to see Reed pouring gasoline throughout the house.
She told him to leave, the man recalled, but an explosion then threw him into a bathroom, and he was forced to crawl out of the burning house through a dining room window.
Total damage to the three properties was estimated at $150,000.
A warrant for Reed’s arrest was issued on Monday.
According to court documents, the Richmond woman has been convicted of crimes including criminal recklessness, disorderly conduct, driving while intoxicated and driving while suspended.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Richmond woman faces arson charges in April 2025 house blaze
Reporting by Douglas Walker, Richmond Palladium-Item / Richmond Palladium-Item
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Douglas Walker, Richmond Palladium-Item | USA TODAY Network
