Police: woman set fire to mobile home, tried to pull a BB gun on officer
LAS CRUCES – Police accused a Las Cruces woman of torching a house near Amador Avenue and Archuleta Road and then trying to pull a BB gun on a police officer this week.
Ariel Campos, 21, was charged with an open count of arson, aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.
According to an affidavit written by Las Cruces Detective Connie Boehne, firefighters responded to a burning mobile home on the 1300 block of West Amador around noon on Feb. 7. As they did, three roadside workers told a firefighter they’d seen a woman behaving strangely before the fire ignited.
The workers said they watched the woman cross Amador Avenue, narrowly avoiding the passing cars, before entering the residence through the front door. The workers said the woman – later identified as Campos – then left the house, crossed the street again, and loitered in the area for several minutes before returning to the home a second time.
The workers said they watched Campos leave the house again. This time, they said she was moving much more quickly. As she crossed, the workers said they heard popping and explosion noises erupting from the mobile home. The sounds were followed by smoke and flames as a fire engulfed the home.
The workers then tried hollering at the woman to tell her the home was on fire, but they said she ignored them and continued to walk away. They then called 911.
Later, fire investigators confirmed that the fire was human caused. In the affidavit, investigators said two fires lit in different parts of the house triggered the blaze. In all, investigators estimated the damages between $2,500 and $20,000.
As firefighters arrived on the scene, the workers flagged down Las Cruces Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Hiles, according to the affidavit. They told Hiles that the woman they’d seen coming and going from the house before the fire was somewhere near Archuleta Road.
Hiles told police that he and the other firefighters could see Campos still walking away. So Hiles decided to follow Campos until Las Cruces Police Officer Joaquin Legarreta arrived.
According to the affidavit, Legarreta said he drove up to Campos and got out of his car. As he did, he noted that she appeared calm and cooperative, according to the affidavit. Legarreta then said he asked Campos for identification. After that, however, Legarreta said Campos started pulling out a gun.
The affidavit notes that Legarreta believed Campos would shoot him.
Legarreta told investigators that he reached out, grabbed Campos’ arm and ripped the gun away. As he did, Legarreta said Campos tried to pull away but could not break the officer’s grapple.
According to the affidavit, the gun turned out to be a black Glock 19 .177 caliber CO2-powered BB gun.
After appearing before a judge on Feb. 8, Compos was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond. State law requires judges to release defendants on a reasonable and affordable bond unless prosecutors can prove that the person is dangerous and that releasing them endangers the public.
Courts records show prosecutors did not attempt to argue for a no-bond hold in this case.
Justin Garcia covers crime, courts and public safety. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Police arrest woman who set fire to a mobile home
