Moberly woman charged with arson after allegedly setting basement on fire

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Moberly woman was charged with first-degree arson after she allegedly set fire to the basement of a Moberly home.

Racheal Wells, 46, is being held at the Randolph County Jail. A court date has not been set.

According to the probable cause statement, police were called to a home on Myra Street for a report of a basement being set on fire. The victim allegedly told police that Wells tried to break into his home early Monday, the statement says.

The victim allegedly told Wells that he would defend himself, if she broke in. Wells allegedly replied, “I’m going to set the house on fire and I hope you burn up in it,” court documents say.

A while later, the victim allegedly heard Wells in the basement “throwing stuff around,” before smoke started appearing, court documents say.

The victim ran out of the house and yelled for help because he doesn’t own a cellphone -- the statement says – and a neighbor called emergency services.

Police and firefighters saw a pile of clothes and cardboard set ablaze in the in the basement, the probable cause statement says.

Wells was also charged with third-degree arson, a misdemeanor, on July 9. A hearing in that case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Randolph County Courthouse.  Court documents say in that case, Wells tried to set the same residence on fire by throwing a lit lantern into the basement door.