AVOYELLES PARISH — Following an apartment fire in Avoyelles Parish, a 77-year-old woman has been arrested, allegedly admitting to setting the fire in anger over the complex's management of repairs.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) arrested Dorothy Dupuy of Marksville for setting her apartment unit on fire while neighboring units were occupied by seven residents including some who were elderly and disabled.
Dupuy was booked into the Avoyelles Parish Prison on one count of Aggravated Arson.
On March 2, the Marksville Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at an apartment complex located in the 700 block of Cannon Street. Firefighters found damage limited to one unit, which was identified as Dupuy’s.
No one was injured.
After an assessment of the scene and collecting witness statements, SFM says that deputies determined the fire originated on a couch in Dupuy’s unit.
Deputies learned Dupuy had been allegedly seen and heard creating a disturbance and threatening the complex management prior to smoke emerging from her unit. Several residents were able to help each other get to safety while a neighbor had to remove Dupuy from her doorway as the fire grew.
Officials say that following Dupuy being taken into custody by Marksville Police, she admitted to SFM deputies that she set her couch fire out of anger with the complex’s management over repairs she believed they were responsible for addressing.
Dupuy was then booked in connection with the case.
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