Community Corner

Judge Orders West View Mother to Trial on Arson Charges

Rachelle Lightsey is charged with arson, insurance fraud, and causing or risking a catastrophe.

Saying the inconsistencies of statements made by the defendant to investigators "raised a lot of questions in my mind," West View Magistrate Richard Opiela ordered Rachelle Lightsey to stand trial on charges that she set the fire which destroyed her West View home on January 20.

Lightsey, 37, told investigators she was the only person home when the fire started in living room of her home at 17 Fairview Avenue shortly before 11 p.m.

The fire eventually spread to the home next door at 19 Fairview Ave.

Police charged that Lightsey risked her neighbors lives as well as the police officers and firefighters who arrived to help.

Lightsey's four children were staying with neighbors. Her husband, Christopher, was in the Allegheny County Jail as the result of a domestic dispute with his wife earlier in the day.

At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Allegheny County deputy fire marshall George Stouffer testified that the fire started in a love seat in the living room, underneath the front window. He said he was unable to find any evidence of an accidental ignition source.

Throughout the hearing, Lightsey dabbed at her eyes and fought back tears.

Stouffer testified that when he interviewed Lightsey more than two hours after the fire began, she told him that she had been sleeping on the couch, awoke to smoke and flames, and tried to put out the fire, but did not know how to use her fire extinguisher. Lightsey said she then panicked, and ran out the front door to a neighbor, who called 911.

Lightsey, a smoker, told investigators she tries not to smoke inside the house and was not smoking at the time of the fire. Stouffer also testified that when he interviewed Lightsey, she did not smell of smoke and had no burns. He also said a fire extinguisher was never recovered from the home.

Detective Jason Costanzo of the Allegheny County Police testified that he interviewed Lightsey on February 1. He said she told him that she had been watching television when she first noticed a flicker of light, and then a four inch by one foot tall flame coming from the love seat. She repeated to Costanzo that she was unable to operate the fire extinguisher, and ran from the home, through the front door, as the love seat continued to burn nearby.

Defense attorney Michael Witherel argued the prosecution's case is based on speculation and that there is no physical evidence to prove Lightsey started the fire. "She fell asleep while watching TV," he said. "She woke up to a fire. No one knows how it started."

Prosecutor Rachel Fleming argued the case should go to trial because the evidence showed a burn pattern consistent with a fire started with an open flame device, and the "bald inconsistencies" in the defendant's statements to investigators.

Judge Opiela agreed, and ordered the case held for court.

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