Mom Sets Mobile Home on Fire With Two Children Inside: Cops

Davie woman facing child abuse charges after setting home on fire: Police

A Davie woman is facing child abuse charges after police say she set her mobile home on fire with her two young children inside.

Marci Ann Conover, 37, was arrested on March 28 on charges of child abuse and child neglect, according to a Davie Police report released Tuesday.

According to the report, Conover and her live-in boyfriend had gotten into a verbal argument in the home in the 13200 block of Southwest 8th Street.

The boyfriend left the home, leaving Conover with the couple's 9-month-old child and Conover's 4-year-old daughter, the report said. Conover's friend, Sarah Casey was also at the home.

According to the report, Conover was upset and said she was going to burn the house down and move back to Ohio with the two children.

That's when Conover placed several pieces of paper in the oven and turned it on, the report said. The papers ignited and smoke started to fill the home.

When Casey saw the smoke, she went looking for Conover and found her on the home's wood deck, pouring liquid from a red gas container onto the deck with her 4-year-old daughter next to her, the report said.

Conover told Casey it was kerosene, and Casey grabbed the girl and put her in the home, the report said. Casey tried to stop Conover from igniting the deck and the two started arguing, the report said.

The home's smoke detectors started going off as Casey grabbed the four-year-old and put her in her car outside. Casey went back inside the home to get the sleeping infant to safety and was confronted by Conover, the report said.

Casey was able to convince Conover to give her the infant, and she ran back to the car and locked herself inside with the toddler and infant and refused to let Conover inside, the report said.

Police responded to the home and found it filled with smoke, with a strong odor of gas in and around the home. A small fire had damaged the oven and refrigerator, the report said.

According to the report, Conover admitted to starting the oven fire and pouring the liquid on the deck, but said she thought the fluid wouldn't burn as much as gas.

"Conover's intentional actions coupled with the fact that the residence is a mobile home should reasonably have been expected to cause physical harm to both children," the report said. "Conover made no attempts to remove the children upon the first fire being ignited and the residence being filled with smoke."

Conover was arrested and being held Tuesday on $4,000 bond. It was unknown whether she has an attorney.

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