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Lake Charles woman arrested for allegedly setting fire to workplace bathroom

Posted at 6:39 PM, Aug 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-03 11:27:17-04

The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal has arrested a Lake Charles woman for allegedly setting fire to a bathroom at her job.

Officials say 41-year-old Suzanne Sonnier was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Jail Wednesday, August 1, for one count of aggravated arson in connection with a fire at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital in July.

Investigators say they were contacted on July 19 to assist in determining the cause and origin of the fire that occurred two days before at one of the hospital’s business offices on Oak Park Boulevard in Lake Charles. The incident followed two suspicious minor fires in the same office building that happened in June.

Witnesses told investigators when staff started smelling smoke on July 17, maintenance workers located the source in a second-floor bathroom. Minor fire damage was located around the ceiling ventilation fan and the toilet where the fan fell and melted to the seat. A used match had also allegedly been located in the bathroom.

Several witnesses allegedly told investigators they suspected Sonnier was behind the fire as she was the last to have been in the bathroom prior to the fire and had prevented others from entering after her. One witness stated she smelled something similar to a struck match when Sonnier exited the bathroom that day.

In an initial interview with investigators say that Sonnier denied any involvement in the fire. In a follow-up interview on Wednesday, August 1, Sonnier failed a polygraph test when asked about the fire, according to a release.

Sonnier was arrested and is being held on a $150,000 bond.