Crime & Safety
Devon Woman Admits To Setting Fire At In-Laws' House
She said in court that her intent was not to hurt anyone, but to reunite her estranged family.
DEVON, PA — A Devon woman wan found guilty of arson and burglary charged after she admitted in court to setting fire to the home of her estranged husband's family, according to court records and a news report.
Olivia Gardenhour Chiles, 47, of Devon, was found guilty of three courts of felony arson and two counts of felony burglary after admitting in court to setting a 5-gallon plastic gasoline can on fire in the basement of an Easttown Township home in which her estranged husband's parents lived.
The incident occurred on Aug. 24, 2018, court records show.
Find out what's happening in Tredyffrin-Easttownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Chiles said she lit the fire in an attempt to reunite her family.
"So I thought that if I could just do a little damage to (her in-laws) home, they would come live with (her husband Steve and I and we would be a family again," she said in court, according to Daily Local News.
Find out what's happening in Tredyffrin-Easttownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The fire led soldering on copper plumbing to melt, which resulted in water coming from the pipes and extinguishing the fire before major damage could be done, Daily Local News reports.
According to the outlet, she faces up to 20 years in prison.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
