Woman being evicted from Garfield residence accused of setting it on fire

Pittsburgh police have accused a woman being evicted from a residence in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood with setting it on fire Wednesday.

According to a criminal complaint filed by police, a state constable arrived Wednesday morning in the 5300 block of Mossfield Street to serve Keila Fiqueroa, 48, with an eviction notice and stayed while she went inside the home to retrieve some clothing.

The constable told police he heard someone yell “fire” in front of the two-story home and then saw Fiqueroa come out of the building. According to the complaint, the constable told investigators he “asked Fiqueroa, ‘What did you do?’ Fiqueroa responded, ‘It was the candle.’ ”

An assistant manager of the property told police he and the constable went inside the home, opened a closed door to a second-floor bedroom and were met with heavy black smoke and heat. They were unable to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher.

About an hour later, at 12:40 p.m., firefighters went to the same address after a passerby called 911 to report smoke coming from a second-story bedroom window. They extinguished the fire and kept it from spreading to other areas of the home. Police said damage was estimated at $80,000. There were no injuries reported.

One of the managers told police that Fiqueroa left her items in the home’s parking lot and drove away in her car.

Police later located Fiqueroa in her vehicle on North Highland Avenue and took her into custody at about 2 p.m. Wednesday.

She is charged with arson, causing or risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief. She was taken to the Allegheny County Jail and was awaiting arraignment.

Officials said police initially were called to assist the constable with the eviction. While there, police found a kitchen window had been broken and locks were removed from a rear door, but the property managers declined to press charges.

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive staff writer. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com. Jeff Himler is a TribLive staff writer. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.