43
Woman faces charges for fires in trash bins
By Elise Franco
BOARDMAN
A woman accused of starting two trash-bin fires at the apartment complex where she lives will be back in court Dec. 14.
Sandra Williamson, 57, was charged Nov. 18 with two counts of arson after she was seen on a surveillance camera setting fire to two trash bins at 2020 Wolosyn Circle, said Boardman Fire Lt. Jim McCreary.
The first fire was reported Oct. 24 and the second on Nov. 13, according to police reports.
McCreary said the building’s owner, Angelina Tiberio, installed cameras after more than a half-dozen fires were set on the property.
“The cameras allowed us to make an identification on [Williamson] on two of 10 Dumpster fires,” he said.
Williamson, who lives at Tiberio’s other property, 1996 Wolosyn, was arraigned Nov. 18 in Mahoning County Area Court in Boardman and posted a $4,000 bond. She is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Dec. 14.
McCreary said the police and fire departments continue to investigate the other eight fires, which occurred in the trash bins and car port of the properties.
“We had an interview with her after she was picked up, and she denied involvement in those other eight fires,” he said.
McCreary said Williamson admitted to setting the two fires that brought on the arson charges.
“If she doesn’t move out, we’ll have to do it the hard way,” Tiberio said. “You have no idea how bad it felt when it was happening, and how good it feels now.”