Woman facing arson charge

SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint woman was arrested Friday for setting fire to her apartment following a dispute with a family member.

Disaree Ann Huntley is charged with first-degree arson.

Huntley, 27, made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday via videoconference with the Bonner County Jail. Judge Debra Heise set Huntley's bail at $3,000 and appointed a public defender to represent her.

Huntley is accused of using a compact plumber's torch to burn a dress and carpeting at her apartment in the 1500 block of Pine Street at about 6 p.m., according to a Sandpoint Police probable cause affidavit.

Officers gained entry to the dwelling in which smoke was wafting in the air and there was an odor of burning materials, the affidavit said. A burnt dress and a burnt section of carpet were found in the apartment.

The reporting party told police that Huntley was very upset following a disagreement with a relative, the affidavit said.

Huntley initially told police she accidentally dropped the torch while lighting a cigarette, but later admitted setting fire to the dress. Moreover, burn patterns in the carpet were consistent with the torch being held against it, court documents indicate.

Huntley is on probation for a felony no-contact order violation, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository. The offense was elevated to the felony level because of two prior no-contact order violation conditions.

Huntley served a stint in the Idaho Department of Correction's retained jurisdiction program after pleaded guilty to the 2011 offense.