San Rafael woman arrested for assault, starting fire at encampment
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - A 55-year-old San Rafael woman was arrested Friday for assaulting a victim and setting a tent on fire in the area of the Mahon Creek path, where a large encampment has grown significantly over the last several months.
San Rafael police responded to calls about a fire in the 700 block of Lincoln Ave. at approximately 6:16 a.m. Friday morning.
Fire crews and police officers arrived and located a tent in the encampment fully engulfed in flames. The firefighters promptly extinguished the fire before it spread to adjacent tents and vegetation.
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An investigation revealed that the suspect and victim were acquaintances and argued over a cell phone. The argument escalated to the point that the suspect swung a gardening machete at the victim, causing a visible injury.
The victim walked away, but the suspect allegedly continued to escalate and then set her own tent on fire, according to San Rafael police.
The suspect was booked into the Marin County Jail for causing a fire of an inhabited structure, a felony, and felony assault with a deadly weapon. The victim, in this case, is expected to recover.