Woman arrested in dealership fires

link Courtesy photo: Elizabeth Brown

Clovis teacher Elizabeth Brown snapped this shot Wednesday morning of police arresting arson suspect Angela Madrid on 17th near Thornton moments after she allgedly started a fire at Greene Acres Park.

The woman accused of setting fires at two car dealerships, a house and a city park told police she did it because something bad was going to happen with fire, according to court records.

Angelica Madrid, 40, told a Clovis detective “we needed to evacuate the town …” because “she has some type of dream which tells her something bad is going to happen” that is “related to fire,” according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Magistrate Court.

Madrid is charged with felony arson, accused of torching Hamilton car dealerships in Clovis and Portales over the weekend, a house on Wednesday and a portion of Greene Acres Park.

Police said Madrid was captured after a short chase when she was spotted Wednesday morning setting fires at the park.

According to the criminal complaint, Madrid started her day by waking a mother up Wednesday morning at a house in the 1300 block of Gidding Street and telling her to get herself and her baby out. Madrid then doused the home with gasoline and set it on fire, according to the complaint.

Madrid also told police she started the fires at Hamilton Auto World on Saturday, the back shed of her house at an undisclosed time and the GM Country dealership in Portales on Sunday.

The complaint notes Madrid said she starts fires at random places. It said Madrid said she is not trying to hurt anyone; she is “trying to get people’s attention in reference to what is going to happen.”

The owner of the house burned Wednesday morning told police, “Angye (sic) is always acting weird but they allowed her to stay at the house trying to help her out,” the complaint said.

The complaint notes at 6:30 a.m. Madrid woke the residents up telling them “something was going to happen” before pouring gasoline on the floor near the back door and lighting it. The homeowners called 911 from a nearby Sonic Parking lot.

Fire investigators said the blaze caused an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 in damages to the house.

After leaving the house, Madrid allegedly walked to Greene Acres Park where witnesses reported her “starting pieces of trash and paper on fire,” according to court records.

Madrid was being held in Curry County jail in lieu of $51,000 cash-only bond.

District Attorney Andrea Reeb said District Judge Drew Tatum will review the conditions of Madrid’s release Friday regarding previous bonds posted for other charges, one being burglary.

“We are trying to revoke her bond now and follow the proper procedure to get her back in custody,” Reeb said.

Madrid was booked into Curry County Adult Detention Center Sunday on misdemeanor charges of improper handling of fire and receiving/transferring stolen vehicles. This arrest was made after Madrid allegedly set fire to the Hamilton Auto Group’s Auto World car dealership in Clovis and GM Country in Portales.

Bond was set at $1,000. Madrid posted bond and was released Monday.

Clovis Fire Department Fire Marshall Allan Silvers said he could not yet comment on ongoing investigations into other recent fires or whether they are related. Those fires include a Nov. 21 blaze that leveled the old Guadalajara restaurant and a fire Sunday at Paper Recycling Depot on Curry Avenue.

The criminal complaint notes Madrid said she did not start the fire at the Paper Recycling Depot and does not know of anyone else in town setting fires.