Charges: St. Paul Woman Set Apartment On Fire During Domestic Dispute

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- A 28-year-old St. Paul woman is accused of setting an apartment on fire during a domestic argument.

On Friday, Daniesha Marie Savage-McComb was charged with two felony counts of first-degree arson in connection to the Thursday incident.

According to the criminal complaint, St. Paul police officers were dispatched in the early afternoon to a domestic incident at a residential apartment on the 100 block of Larpenteur Avenue.

Upon arrival, officers were informed by the apartment occupant that Savage-McComb pushed him during an argument about her abusive behavior, and she later set the apartment on fire, the complaint said.

Officers then arrested Savage-McComb, who later told police in a post-Miranda interview that she had been struggling with mental health and managing her medications. She admitted to pushing the victim and lighting a disposable face mask on fire. She said she put the burning mask on a bed and splashed it with alcohol, spreading the fire, the complaint said.

Savage-McComb said she tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire and needed to be helped off the deck by a neighbor.

The fire resulted in the apartment building being "badly damaged and condemned," and displaced 40 residents from their homes, according to the complaint.

If convicted, Savage-McComb could face up to 20 years in prison.

For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.