A woman has been accused of burning down a man’s house after he called her for sex at 4am but fell asleep before she arrived.
Taija Russell, 29, was arrested last week after she allegedly torched the man’s home in Woodbury, New Jersey in the early hours of August 4.
The victim is believed to have asked Russell over for late-night sex but fell asleep and did not hear her knocking on his front door.
Police said she sent him a series of angry text messages saying: ‘I see you wanna die’ and ‘You wasted my money to come out here’.
She then allegedly went to a nearby gas station to buy lighter fluid, matches and a lighter at 4am.
Russell is accused of starting the fire outside the doorway of his home and then fleeing.
The man woke at about 4.30am to find his home ablaze and had to escape through a window.
He ran to the nearby police station to alert them of the fire. Police said the man was covered in soot and ash.
Firefighters arrived to find the home completely engulfed in flames but they were able to rescue the man’s dog.
The man was rushed to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, as well as first and second degree burns.
Investigators said they immediately recognized signs of arson at the home and set up a crime scene.
They interviewed neighbors and reviewed hours worth of surveillance footage before pinpointing who they say is Russell.
Police then found the text messages from Russell on the victim’s phone and said there were eight missed calls from her.
The victim allegedly told police that Russell was his ‘side chick’ and said he had invited her over for sex.
Russell was charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, endangering and criminal mischief.
Award winning journalist and writer who has worked as a stringer for a couple of acclaimed South Africa based German journalists, covered 3 Ugandan elections, 2008 Kenya election crisis, with interests in business and sports reporting.
