Drug suspect indicted for arson
A Russellville woman originally charged with chemical endangerment of a child after officials found illegal substances in her apartment that caught fire in May was additionally indicted on charges of arson, Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said.
Maxine Joann Hawkins, 27, 100 Holiday Plaza, Apt. 101B, Russellville, was indicted on charges of unlawful possession of controlled substance, chemical endangerment of a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia and third-degree arson (reckless arson) by the November grand jury.
“The third-degree arson charge is actually a misdeameanor charge that means that Hawkins’ didn’t set the fire intentionally,” Rushing said, “It just means that the evidence showed her behavior was reckelss enough to allow the fire to start.”
Rushing said the charges stem from a fire that occured at Redwood Apartments on Washington Avenue in Russellville at 3:09 a.m. on May 19.
Russellville Fire Marshal Steve Thornton said fire officials were able to determine the fire started in Hawkins’ apartment and, although they arrived on the scene quickly, the fire caused enough damage to displace 10 people and make the apartment complex uninhabitable until it can be rebuilt.
“Our investigation finally determined the fire started in an upstairs bedroom of Hawkins’ apartment where she had left a candle burning in the same room as her small child,” Thornton said. “Apparently she had left the candle unattended for a long period of time and the child kicked some covers onto it.
“We didn’t have this information when Hawkins’ was first charged and after presenting all the information to the grand jury, they obviously felt there was enough evidence to indictment Hawkins’ for the reckless arson charge.”
The other charges Hawkins’ incurred came after firefighters were finally able to extinguish the fire and sort through the scene. Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said firefighters noticed something strange when going through Hawkins’ apartment.
“We were advised that firefighters had found a partially burned ashtray with what appeared to be drug paraphernalia and an illegal substance still inside,” Hargett said after the arrest.
“Once we received this information, we went to interview Hawkins.”
Hargett said they interviewed Hawkins with representatives from the Franklin County Department of Human Resources after they discovered her two-year-old child had potentially been present when the illegal substances were being used.
Hargett said Hawkins’ child tested positive for illegal substances which led to her arrest for chemical endangerment of a child.
Rushing said the other charges, including the misdemeanor arson charge, were added during the November grand jury session based on information presented at that time.
Rushing said Hawkins’ case would be set for the Jan. 4 arraignment docket and would be placed on the criminal trial docket in early February.
