MILWAUKEE, WI - A woman who was supposedly being evicted by her father decided to set his house on fire using "charcoal fluid" and a Bic lighter while he was inside.
The woman, 48-year-old Laquita Spears, is now facing arson and reckless endangerment charges. "Burn motherf*cker, burn!" Spears told her dad after igniting a fire at his Milwaukee apartment and sending it up in flames, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law & Crime.
The fire spread to other apartments, sending elderly residents rushing out while suffering from smoke inhalation and other injuries, including one person who was hospitalized with chest pain after he was found unresponsive and not breathing. The apartment building where the dad lives "houses elderly people with a large majority of those being disabled," police said.
Authorities confirmed that the apartment complex was not equipped with sprinklers. "Occupants of the apartment complex were self-evacuating and some people were hanging out of windows," the complaint alleges.
Spears had reportedly been fighting with her father after he tried kicked her out of his residence, where she had been staying for several weeks. She moved in after being removed from a local shelter. "[The father] stated he did not have any problems with defendant but over the past two weeks she has constantly been talking to herself," the complaint said.
"On January 13, 2026, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the defendant was screaming at him and not making any sense about $5 that should have been lent to her by a family member. C.T. told defendant she could no longer stay at his apartment and she continued to scream and cuss at him."
As the argument continued, Spears' dad told police that he saw her walking towards the front door to leave while clutching a red Bic lighter. She made her "burn" comment right before walking out, the complaint states.
"[The father] observed his coat on top of his couch was on fire," according to police. "[The father] stated he attempted to put out the fire but was unsuccessful." During interviews with police, Spears' dad said that his daughter had taken a "cigarette lighter and lit a coat hanging on the chair near the entrance to the apartment and also lit the couch along the southwest wall in the living room on fire," as stated in the complaint.
Spears already has two prior arson convictions. She was tracked down and arrested on January 16, and interviewed by investigators. "[Spears] stated she had been arguing with her father and detailed various disputes with family members going back to September and back to her previous arson case," according to the complaint.
"Defendant admitted she squirted 'the charcoal' on top of a jacket that was on top of the couch in the living room. Defendant stated she also retrieved a laundry basket of clothing and placed it on a table in the living room and squirted the charcoal fluid on the clothes."
Spears also admitted to using the Bic lighter to "ignite the fluid at both locations" before walking out of the apartment and fleeing, police said. She claimed she did not intend to hurt anyone and didn't think the fire would spread the way it did.
Spears was booked into the local jail and is scheduled to appear in court on February 26. She is being held on a $50,000 bond and has been ordered to stay away from her father, if she is released.
The woman, 48-year-old Laquita Spears, is now facing arson and reckless endangerment charges. "Burn motherf*cker, burn!" Spears told her dad after igniting a fire at his Milwaukee apartment and sending it up in flames, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law & Crime.
The fire spread to other apartments, sending elderly residents rushing out while suffering from smoke inhalation and other injuries, including one person who was hospitalized with chest pain after he was found unresponsive and not breathing. The apartment building where the dad lives "houses elderly people with a large majority of those being disabled," police said.
Authorities confirmed that the apartment complex was not equipped with sprinklers. "Occupants of the apartment complex were self-evacuating and some people were hanging out of windows," the complaint alleges.
Spears had reportedly been fighting with her father after he tried kicked her out of his residence, where she had been staying for several weeks. She moved in after being removed from a local shelter. "[The father] stated he did not have any problems with defendant but over the past two weeks she has constantly been talking to herself," the complaint said.
"On January 13, 2026, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the defendant was screaming at him and not making any sense about $5 that should have been lent to her by a family member. C.T. told defendant she could no longer stay at his apartment and she continued to scream and cuss at him."
As the argument continued, Spears' dad told police that he saw her walking towards the front door to leave while clutching a red Bic lighter. She made her "burn" comment right before walking out, the complaint states.
"[The father] observed his coat on top of his couch was on fire," according to police. "[The father] stated he attempted to put out the fire but was unsuccessful." During interviews with police, Spears' dad said that his daughter had taken a "cigarette lighter and lit a coat hanging on the chair near the entrance to the apartment and also lit the couch along the southwest wall in the living room on fire," as stated in the complaint.
Spears already has two prior arson convictions. She was tracked down and arrested on January 16, and interviewed by investigators. "[Spears] stated she had been arguing with her father and detailed various disputes with family members going back to September and back to her previous arson case," according to the complaint.
"Defendant admitted she squirted 'the charcoal' on top of a jacket that was on top of the couch in the living room. Defendant stated she also retrieved a laundry basket of clothing and placed it on a table in the living room and squirted the charcoal fluid on the clothes."
Spears also admitted to using the Bic lighter to "ignite the fluid at both locations" before walking out of the apartment and fleeing, police said. She claimed she did not intend to hurt anyone and didn't think the fire would spread the way it did.
Spears was booked into the local jail and is scheduled to appear in court on February 26. She is being held on a $50,000 bond and has been ordered to stay away from her father, if she is released.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments