Wheat Ridge Woman Set Fire To Car With Husband Inside: Jury

WHEAT RIDGE, CO – A Jefferson County jury found a Wheat Ridge woman guilty of attempting to murder her husband by setting his car on fire while he slept inside, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office said.

Andrea Toni Moreno, 38, was found guilty June 20 of attempted first-degree murder, fourth-degree arson, child abuse and violation of a protection order. She will be sentenced Aug. 6.

The Arvada Fire Department likely saved the husband's life, when responding to an unrelated call July 20, 2017, a fire crew saw a car on fire in the 5000 block of Swadley Street in Wheat Ridge.

Darrell Gonzales, who had been asleep inside the vehicle, was found standing in the garage, and Arvada firefighters extinguished the fire, a news release said.

During the three-day trial, Moreno's six year old grandson testified that she poured gasoline onto the car with Gonzales asleep inside, then threw a lit match onto the gas, causing the front end of the car to catch fire.

Gonzales had decided to sleep in the car after a drunken argument between Moreno and Gonzales. He had left the family home and returned around 9 p.m. to find his belongings had been thrown out of the house onto the lawn, a press release said. So he decided to sleep in the car.

After Arvada firefighters had extinguished the blaze, Wheat Ridge police conducted the investigation and arrested Moreno.

Image via Jefferson County District Attorney's Office