FAIRFIELD, CT — A 44-year-old Fairfield woman is being held in lieu of bail of $100,000 in connection with a fire that police said she set at a multifamily home on Castle Avenue in Fairfield.
The fire, which was deemed suspicious by authorities, was reported on Thursday. No injuries were reported.
Witnesses told authorities that they saw a person "intentionally set fire to the exterior of the residence before leaving the area in a vehicle," Fairfield police wrote on Facebook.
Mikaelle Rosw is facing a third-degree arson charge in connection with the blaze. Her bail was initially $500,000, but a judge on Friday reduced it to $100,000 during her arraignment in Bridgeport Superior Court, the Connecticut Post reported.
In an email to Patch, Fairfield Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Barry said "all of Fairfield’s on duty [fire] companies" responded to the afternoon blaze, in an effort to prevent further damage to the structure.
Once the blaze was extinguished by Fairfield firefighters, officials determined the damaged two-family home was uninhabitable, CT Insider reported.
Officers found the vehicle witnesses had described and took Rosw into custody on Thursday.
The American Red Cross is assisting the two families displaced by the fire — three adults and three children — in finding temporary housing.
A man who reportedly identified himself as Rosw's husband, told the Post that she suffers from mental health issues and needs hospitalization not jail.
The husband reportedly told police that Rosw was taking medication for schizophrenia, but has been "abusing marijuana," which may have impacted her mental state.
Rosw is scheduled to appear back in court on June 26.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Fairfield, CT Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.