After six months on the run, a woman who is suspected of inflicting substantial damage and setting fire to a home she was renting in Eagle Mountain made her first court appearance Wednesday in Utah.
Chantelle Desiree Jones, 45, faces first-degree felony charges of aggravated arson and second-degree felony charges of obstruction of justice in the 4th District Court. In October, a warrant for her arrest without bail was issued.
On August 28, there was a fire 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.
According to the accusations, investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the insurance company, and the Unified Fire Authority came to the conclusion that the fire was intentionally started.
Jones and her husband were renting the house at the time of the incident. However, Jones’ lease was not renewed by the homeowners. By August 28th, the Joneses were expected to leave the house. That day, between 3:12 and 4:12 a.m., Jones was captured on tape exiting the house by a doorbell camera. Investigators suspect the fire began about 4:12 a.m. and 4:004 a.m., when the exterior lights of the residence went out.
On September 24, Jones allegedly went to the Salt Lake City International Airport “where she rented a vehicle and fled to Nevada, leaving her family behind,” according to the allegations. The rental business reported the car as stolen since it was not returned in a timely manner. On October 9, she was charged with second-degree felony theft of a rental car in 3rd District Court. On October 29, she was charged in relation to the arson.
In order to evade prosecution in federal court, Jones was charged in January with unauthorised flight. While U.S. marshals searched for her, the charge was filed under seal. Early in April, Jones was found in Arizona, arrested, and extradited to Utah. The two arrest warrants that were obtained for Jones in Utah were recalled on April 7, according to court documents. On April 9, the first hearing in her case of rental car theft took place.
She was then moved to the Utah County Jail on April 17, and on Wednesday, she made her first court appearance in connection with the arson charge. That case’s preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for May 9.
In addition, Jones is a party to a federal civil case against the Saratoga Springs Police Department, alleging that she was sexually harassed by a Saratoga Springs police officer and that his department and city officials attempted to conceal his behaviour by running her out of town. In that case, Jones’ lawyers have asked for a halt in the proceedings while their client responds to the criminal charges against her.
The judge has been asked by Saratoga Springs police to reject the motion to halt her civil case.
“She chose to bring the case, and as such, she has a duty to timely prosecute it. The fact that she is being criminally prosecuted for acts unrelated to this case does not entitle her to make (Saratoga Springs) wait until it is more convenient for (her) to pursue her case. Mere inconvenience to her or her counsel is not grounds for granting the relief requested,” the city replied in court documents.
On Thursday, there was still no decision on whether to issue a stay in her civil actions.