A South Carolina woman has been arrested on charges of arson and attempted murder after authorities say she set her house on fire and trapped her family inside.
67-year-old Willie Mae McQuilla was taken into custody on Saturday after allegedly admitting to torching her home in Sumter County when responding deputies stopped to question her.
Authorities say multiple people identified McQuilla as the suspect.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that McQuilla’s family members, including her husband and two grown children, were able to escape without injury.
She was charged with one count of arson and three counts of attempted murder.
The incident took place shortly before 5pm on Saturday when a call came in about a house fire in progress at 2290 Highway 261 South in Wedgefield.
Other 911 calls identified McQuilla as the alleged arsonist.
As firefighters headed to the scene, a sheriff’s deputy stopped McQuilla for questioning, at which point she reportedly confessed to the crime.
A spokesperson for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office revealed to the Daily Mail on Monday that McQuilla told the officer “she was tired of being disrespected.”
The woman was taken to the Sumter-Lee Detention Center to await a bond hearing, reported WIS-TV. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 7.
