Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Chantelle Desiree Jones faces charges of aggravated arson and obstruction of justice.
- A no-bail warrant was issued after police say she fled Utah.
- Jones is also involved in a lawsuit against Saratoga Springs Police Department.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN — A no-bail arrest warrant has been issued for a Utah woman who police say fled the state after setting a fire that heavily damaged an Eagle Mountain home.
Chantelle Desiree Jones, 45 — who was called a suspect in court documents earlier this month — was formally charged Tuesday in 4th District Court with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Jones is also currently involved in a lawsuit against Saratoga Springs and its police department.
On Aug. 28, a fire was reported at 3873 E. South Pass Cove, in Eagle Mountain.
"The home was extensively damaged by fire, causing an estimated $300,000-$500,000 in damage," according to charging documents.
At the time of the fire, the home was being leased to Jones and her husband. The homeowners, however, opted not to renew Jones' lease. The Joneses were supposed to be out of the house by Aug. 28.
Jones claimed she left the house at about 4 a.m. after packing and cleaning, according to court documents. The fire was reported just after 6 a.m. Investigators from the Unified Fire Department, the insurance company, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concluded the fire had been intentionally set, the charges state.
"The fire was found to have originated in the ceiling above the circuit breaker panel in the basement. Analysis of debris and fire patterns indicated that a collection of combustible materials, including a box of matches, had been stuffed into the ceiling on top of a hot plate, which was plugged in. Analysis of the defendant's phone located a saved Amazon listing for the same hot plate found at the scene," according to the charges.
On Sept. 13, Jones and her husband were interviewed by investigators. On Sept. 24, Jones "went to the Salt Lake International Airport, where she rented a vehicle and fled to Nevada, leaving her family behind," the charges state.
When the vehicle was not returned in time, the rental company listed it as stolen.
The car was "pinged" and determined to be in Arizona. An officer with the Arizona Department of Public Safety located the vehicle in Wickenburg and stopped it due to it being listed on a national police database as stolen. Jones was taken into custody and taken to the Yavapai County Jail. She was also charged with theft in Yavapai County, Arizona, for being in possession of the car listed as stolen.
She was charged in Utah on Oct. 9 with theft of a rental vehicle, a second-degree felony. But Jones was released from the Arizona jail before the warrant from Utah that would have kept her in jail was received.
According to her new charges, while she was still in jail in Arizona, she called her father and "told him to get her out of jail quick because if she was extradited to Utah, it would be very bad for her," charging documents state.
After her arrest in Arizona, her attorney, Rachael Whitaker, released a statement to KSL.com when asked about prosecutors calling her an arson suspect. "Mrs. Jones adamantly denies these allegations ... She believes both cases are examples of further police misconduct and harassment directed toward her. Mrs. Jones maintains her innocence and looks forward to her day in court."
Jones is involved in a federal civil lawsuit against the Saratoga Springs Police Department, claiming she was sexually harassed by a Saratoga Springs police officer and was run out of town by his department and city leaders who tried to cover up for his actions. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for Jan. 15.
