At least eight DTE Energy utility poles were doused in gasoline and set ablaze in Sterling Heights, leaving thousands of residents without power before police tracked down and arrested a 38-year-old woman from Pittsfield Township in connection with the fires.
Sterling Heights police announced the arrest on Thursday, saying the woman is accused of nearly striking a responding firefighter with her vehicle while allegedly fleeing one of the pole fires, according to Metro Detroit News. That alleged flee-and-elude incident happened at 12220 Hall Road, a stretch of the busy M-59 corridor, the outlet reports. Investigators say the firefighter who was nearly hit ultimately provided information that helped detectives identify the woman, and after gathering evidence, they obtained an arrest warrant on suspicion of felonious assault.
Federal involvement underscores how seriously authorities are treating the case. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, including certified fire investigators, responded to the scene and joined local law enforcement in examining the gasoline-soaked poles, according to WXYZ-TV Detroit. That station also identifies the suspect as a 38-year-old woman who resides in Pittsfield Township.
Investigators Eye a Possible Link to a Ypsilanti Fire
Detectives say the woman may be tied to additional arsons beyond the Sterling Heights pole fires, including one that destroyed an auto parts store in Ypsilanti, per the same account from Metro Detroit News. The suspect resides in Pittsfield Township, while the second fire under investigation was in Ypsilanti. No charges related to that fire have been confirmed, and the exact nature of any link remains part of the ongoing investigation…