Police: arson, mental illness collide with incident

DUNCAN — A woman claiming she’s pregnant was arrested after police said they found her trying to burn down the building where she said her boyfriend works on Sunday.

Sherry Rennee Stone, 46, of Burkburnett, Texas, made her initial appearance Tuesday in Stephens County District Court where she received a felony charge of third-degree arson and a misdemeanor count of malicious injury to property under $1,000, records indicate. The arson charges is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Duncan Police Officer Bryan Casteel stated he was called shortly after 2:45 p.m. Sunday to 202 S. 7th Street for a structure fire call and arrived to be flagged down by a “very frantic” Stone. The officer saw a trash can on fire near the building’s south side.

While moving Stone towards his vehicle for safety, she said she “started the fire by lighting a cigarette” while she was there to meet her boyfriend who works there, the probable cause affidavit states.

A black Chevrolet dually truck was seen with fire extinguisher dust all over it, a cracked windshield and a dent on the passenger side of the hood matching the dimensions of a fire extinguisher, Casteel stated. Stone was placed in handcuffs. During that process, she told the officer she was pregnant, the affidavit states. EMTs were called to provide her medical attention.

Casteel saw freshly sprayed black spray paint on the glass door and west wall that led to the location where the fire was started, according to the affidavit. Stone admitted to spray painting the building and said she “was just playing,” the officer stated.

“Due to Stone having schizophrenia, she was very hard to understand,” Casteel stated. “Stone could not answer any question fully or complete her statements all the way.”

After being medically cleared, Stone was transported to the Stephens County jail.

Held on $25,000 bond with the order to have no contact with the address, Stone returns to court at 9 a.m. Feb. 19 for her preliminary hearing conference.