Police: New Hampshire woman lit car on fire, threw a rock into a house in Vermont

A New Hampshire lady is dealing with a slew of prison fees after police mentioned she set a automobile on hearth and threw a rock by the window of a home in Harmony, Vermont on Tuesday evening. 

Nikki Lucas of Lyman, New Hampshire pleaded not responsible at an arraignment Wednesday in Essex County Superior prison court docket to eight fees, together with one depend of third-degree arson, 4 counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of illegal mischief and one in all unlawfully trespassing at an occupied residence. 

In response to an affidavit of possible trigger filed with the court docket, police obtained a name at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday that somebody, later decided to be Lucas, had damaged right into a home at 669 Leonard Hill Street by the window. About 10 minutes later, police mentioned they obtained a name a few automobile on hearth on the home subsequent door, which is No. 605.

Vermont State Police troopers discovered Lucas exterior of 669 Leonard Hill Street, in keeping with court docket paperwork, and he or she seemed to be intoxicated. Lucas denied utilizing alcohol or medication, and informed police she had been driving in a van along with her ex-boyfriend when the 2 “had an incident,” and he kicked her out of the car “on an unknown highway.”

Lucas mentioned she ran for eight miles and screamed for 2 hours, in keeping with court docket paperwork, ultimately coming between the 2 homes on Leonard Hill Street and screaming for somebody to name the police. When nobody got here to assist her, Lucas mentioned, she went and sat in a automobile within the driveway at 605 Leonard Street.

“I clarified if it was the automobile that was at the moment on hearth, and he or she mentioned sure,” state police Trooper Elisabeth Plympton wrote within the affidavit filed Wednesday.

An individual residing at 669 Leonard Hill Street later informed police that Lucas tried to interrupt into the home by a facet door and broke the door’s display, earlier than choosing up a big rock from the home’s backyard and throwing it by a window. 

Leonard informed police she began the hearth by chance whereas trying to hotwire the automobile in order that she may drive it to New Hampshire. However police disputed that account, saying Lucas smelled strongly of gasoline and that they discovered a gasoline canister on the driveway amongst her different belongings. They famous she additionally took a jacket from the automobile.

Lucas informed police the odor of gasoline got here from a “tiki mild,” in keeping with the affidavit.

“A car can be extra prone to shortly engulf in flames from a gasoline can than a lighter,” Plympton wrote within the affidavit. “Moreover, Nikki has no burns on her, whereas if she was contained in the car on the time of the hearth brought on by the lighter as described, she would have sustained damage.”

Police mentioned the automobile was fully broken within the hearth, which additionally broken two close by automobiles, a camper and the nook of the home at 605 Leonard Hill Street. 

A household of 4 was in the home on the time, police mentioned, although no accidents had been reported in court docket paperwork. 

Police mentioned Lucas gave them the cellphone variety of her ex-boyfriend, however he didn’t reply to a name and textual content. 

Lucas was arrested and transported to state police’s St. Johnsbury barracks for processing, they mentioned. Whereas there, Plympton mentioned Lucas smelled so strongly of gasoline that “my eyes had been burning.” 

Following a virtually hour-long listening to Wednesday, Decide Daniel Richardson opted to launch the 37-year-old — who was being held at Northeast Correctional Advanced in St. Johnsbury — into the custody of Fred Dusik. 

Lucas’ lawyer, Laura Wilson, described Dusik as a father-like determine to Lucas, and mentioned the 2 have lived collectively in Lyman, New Hampshire for the higher a part of the previous a number of years. Dusik informed the court docket by cellphone that he has recognized Lucas for twenty years and considers her to be household. He mentioned he’s retired and barely leaves his dwelling, which suggests he’d be capable to control Lucas as her court-appointed custodian.

Essex County State’s Legal professional Vince Illuzzi argued that with Lucas launched, it may very well be tough to implement any court-ordered circumstances since she can be residing in one other state. He added that Lucas had failed to seem in court docket as soon as earlier than in a unique case. 

Wilson contended that there’s “plenty of cross-border exercise” in between communities in Essex County and people in neighboring New Hampshire, and it wasn’t honest to carry that in opposition to her shopper.

Wilson additionally informed the court docket that Lucas isn’t employed and didn’t have the power to boost the $5,000 money bail sought by the state. Richardson agreed to waive bail. 

As a situation of her launch, Lucas should verify in as soon as every week, each different week on the St. Johnsbury Police Division, which is a few half-hour drive from Lyman.

Lucas is due again in court docket July 19.