LAUREL — A woman is facing a felony arson charge after a fire destroyed a home and detached shop in the 2600 block of Buffalo Horn Drive in Laurel on Sept. 17.
Firefighters arrived to find both buildings engulfed in flames. Court documents say witnesses reported seeing a woman running from the property as the fire burned.
Montana Highway Patrol troopers later detained 41-year-old Crystal Marie Ronan about a block away. According to charging documents, Ronan smelled of smoke and an accelerant and had soot on her clothing and body, along with burned hair and a burn injury on her back.
Investigators say security camera footage showed Ronan entering the shop carrying a blowtorch before the fire started. Witnesses also told investigators they saw flames coming from the shop, spotted Ronan near the property and noticed a blowtorch nearby. They reported seeing her run from the area afterward.
According to court documents, the property's owner told investigators he knew Ronan and had occasionally allowed her to stay in the shop. He said he had asked her to leave earlier that day.
Ronan is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 17.
