Court appearance scheduled Tuesday for Casa Maria’s co-owner accused of arson in Bootheel town

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The co-owner of a Columbia restaurant who is accused of second-degree arson in southeastern Missouri has a court date next week.

Crystal Umfress, 42, was charged with second-degree arson and has a court appearance set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Dunklin County Courthouse. She was booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail on Thursday. She was not in the jail by Thursday evening. Details of her arrest were not immediately available.

Court documents filed in July state that Umfress contacted a witness asking her to burn a business in Kennett. A fire later broke out at Lupita's Mexican Restaurant.

Umfress allegedly hired Kerry Raymond to set the fire. A witness told Kennett police that Umfress contacted her to burn the business when Raymond was with her, according to a probable cause statement.

Raymond was also charged with second-degree arson and has an arraignment is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday.