ATLANTA — Arrest warrants and a police incident report offer details into the incident Thursday night in which a woman was detained while allegedly trying to light the birth home of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta on fire.
Military records also show the woman, charged with second degree attempted arson and interfering with government property, served in the Navy between 2016-2020. On Saturday, she appeared in court, where the judge denied bail.
Part of the incident was captured on bystander video, as the suspect appeared to pour gasoline on the front porch of the historic home on Auburn Avenue. According to the arrest warrants, she had a lighter in hand "with the intention of lighting the house on fire" as onlookers made a citizen's arrest.
An incident report also released by the Atlanta Police Department characterizes that moment as her "actively trying to spark the lighter to the property and bushes so they had to remove it out of her hands and get her under control until police responded."
Martin Luther King III, MLK Jr.'s eldest son, spoke about the incident with 11Alive's Molly Oak.
Questions still surround the incident, and police have not detailed any possible motive for the alleged arson attempt. The suspect's Navy record shows several commendations during her time in service, including a Good Conduct Medal and a Humanitarian Service Medal.
According to the report, two men from Utah were sightseeing at the home when they noticed the incident beginning.
At first, they thought she was simply "upkeeping the plants" by pouring water over the bushes, the report states. When they asked her if that's what she was doing, however, she didn't answer.
"This is when they proceeded to ask a couple more questions but still got no answer," the report states. "At this moment in time, they stated their suspicions arose coupled with the fact that the canister she was holding cap fell off in the grass, and instead of looking like a pot for watering plants, it resembled that of a container to hold gas."
The men, realizing that she might be about to try and set fire to the home, "started to plead (with her) to stop, but she was ignoring them," the report states. In fact, it seemed "as if she started to rush and pour the gasoline on faster."
"They saw no other option but to try to apprehend her, along with the help of other bystanders in the area they tried to get her detained," the report states, noting how she evidently was trying to spark the lighter at this moment.
The incident report adds that she was seen on cameras in the area arriving in a black car with all black on, black socks and no shoes. After being detained, the suspect was taken to Grady Hospital. APD said after being discharged from the hospital, she will be taken to the Fulton County Jail.
Editor's note: 11Alive has made the decision not to identify the woman accused in this case. This decision was made as we await more information from Atlanta Police after the woman reportedly underwent an evaluation at Grady Detention. You can read 11Alive's full mugshot and name policy online here.