Hartford woman pleads guilty in arson fire that injured three

A Hartford woman pleaded guilty this week to setting a fire inside a Willard Street apartment building last October, injuring three people and forcing the building to be evacuated.

Kiarah Pope, 30, of Laurel Street, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree arson and will be sentenced Dec. 20 to five years in prison and five years of probation.

Pope was inside 50 Willard St., the Regency Place Apartments, and was caught on surveillance video setting fire to a couch that was in a hallway.

The fire filled the hallway with smoke, and firefighters had to rescue several people who were trapped and lost because of the heavy smoke.

Three people, including a 9-month-old child, suffered smoke inhalation and required hospitalization, according to the warrant for Pope’s arrest. Another tenant remained in the hospital overnight because the smoke affected her asthma.

City fire marshals, detectives and an agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the fire’s cause and discovered the surveillance video, which showed a woman setting fire to the couch.

A city police officer identified Pope as the fire-setter and police took her into custody on an unrelated matter.

During questioning by major crimes division detectives, Pope was shown the video. As she watched, she sighed and said, “oh my god,” and covered her face, according to the warrant. Asked if she knew the person in the video, Pope responded “It’s me,” according to the warrant.

Pope said she was under the influence of drugs and did not remember setting the fire, according to the warrant. She was in the building seeing a friend, she said.

The fire caused more than $70,000 worth of damage to the apartment building, its owner told police.

David Owens can be reached at dowens@courant.com.