Woman Charged With Setting Fire In Las Vegas Hospital

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March 8, 2011

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue investigators have arrested and charged a homeless woman with arson and attempted murder after she allegedly set fire in a restroom in the Valley Hospital Emergency Room early this morning.  Patients being treated in the emergency room for other medical emergencies were examined for smoke inhalation after the fire.  The incident caused the emergency room to close for several hours.

Kathy Priest-Ritner, 43, has been charged with one count of arson in the first degree and six counts of attempted murder by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue investigators and is being held in the Clark County Detention Center.

Fire investigators say the woman was taken to the emergency room earlier in the morning by ambulance for a medical complaint.  She was examined and released.  While in the emergency room she was seen playing with a cigarette lighter.   She then went into the restroom in the emergency room and allegedly set fire to a plastic waste container and then left.  The melting plastic created a thick black smoke that was seen coming from the restroom.  Security personnel and medical staff went to the restroom with fire extinguishers.  When they went into the restroom to extinguish the fire, thick black smoke spread into the rest of the emergency room.  At least six  people in the emergency room at the time were examined for minor smoke inhalation.  The emergency room was then closed because of the smoke.  Las Vegas firefighters responded to the hospital at 7 a.m. to confirm the fire was out and to help clear the smoke out of the emergency room.  Damage from the fire was estimated at $5,000.

Fire investigators responded and were able to determine that the suspect had left the hospital and was in the emergency department at University Medical Center, where she was taken into custody by fire investigators. The incident remains under investigation by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue investigators.



Author:Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Press Release