Saturday, September 22, 2012
Staff report
struthers
A woman who police say tried to burn her house down with her family in it was arraigned on attempted murder and aggravated-arson charges.
Margaret Jackintell, 50, appeared Friday in Struthers Municipal Court. She was given a total of $300,000 bond on the two charges, which she did not post, the court said. She is in Mahoning County jail.
According to a police report, Jackintell admitted she set the family’s house at 376 Como St. on fire at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Her husband was able to put the fire out himself, the report states, so the family did not report it.
Jackintell, who at first denied setting the fire, told her husband Thursday she set it, the report says.
Jackintell’s 21-year-old daughter called the police.
Also in the house at the time of the fire was Jackintell’s mother-in-law, whose screams awoke the family after she opened her bedroom door and saw two separate fires blocking the hallway.
The family members were trapped in their bedrooms by high flames. Jackintell’s husband ran through the fire and put it out with water from the kitchen, the report says.
The family told police Jackintell indicated she intended to kill them because she cost them a large hospital bill, which she believes will cause them to lose their home.
The family told police they are not losing their home, but Jackintell insisted they would be better off dead because she is on probation for theft, and she is broke, the report says.
Police said when they spoke to Jackintell, she told them she set the fire.
She said she poured gasoline into a beer can a week ago and hid it under the basement stairs. She said she got up early, got the gasoline while everyone slept, went into the hall and poured it on the carpet in two places to trap her family, the report says.
Police said she indicated she wanted to die, too, but her family said she was returning to the kitchen from the basement after the fire was extinguished. She was there hiding the beer can, police said.
Jackintell’s next court appearance will be a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Struthers court.