A small fire at an Ocala apartment complex led to the arrest of a 33-year-old mother after first responders forced entry into her unit and discovered that her three minor children had been left unsupervised for several hours.
On Wednesday, September 3, at around 4:25 a.m., Ocala Fire Rescue units responded to reports of a structure fire at the Laurel Park Apartments (100 NW 23rd Avenue). A neighbor had alerted authorities after smelling smoke from one of the apartments.
OFR determined that the fire had been caused by a lithium-ion battery attached to a scooter. The flames spread to nearby items in the apartment, including other scooters and a sofa, before being extinguished by firefighters…