A 48-year-old Wisconsin woman is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly setting her father’s apartment on fire shortly after he told her she could no longer live with him, authorities say.
According to a criminal complaint, Laquita Spears had been staying with her father after being asked to leave a local shelter. While there had reportedly been no serious issues between them initially, tensions escalated in the weeks leading up to Jan. 13, 2026.
The complaint states that on the afternoon of Jan. 13, Spears became agitated and began yelling at her father over a dispute involving $5 that she believed a family member owed her. Her father told police that she appeared to be talking to herself in the days prior and was “not making any sense” during the argument. When he informed her that she could no longer stay in his apartment, the confrontation intensified.
During the dispute, the father told investigators he saw Spears walk toward the front door holding a red Bic lighter. She allegedly shouted a threat before squirting charcoal fluid onto a jacket on the couch and a laundry basket filled with clothes, then ignited both items and left the apartment.
The fire spread rapidly through the building, which houses mostly elderly and disabled residents. Occupants were forced to evacuate, and at least one person was hospitalized after being found unresponsive. Several apartments sustained damage from fire and water, and multiple residents were treated for smoke inhalation, according to fire officials.
The father attempted to put out the flames but was unsuccessful. Emergency responders later evacuated as many as 150 people from the complex.
Spears was tracked down and arrested on Jan. 16. Authorities say she later admitted to applying the charcoal fluid to the items in the living room but claimed she did not intend to harm anyone and did not anticipate how quickly the fire would spread.
Court records indicate Spears has two prior arson-related convictions involving family members. She is currently charged with one count of arson and two counts of reckless endangerment. She is being held on a USD 50,000 bond and, if released, will be prohibited from contacting her father.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 26.
