Wauwatosa Arson Suspect Had Cell Phone Data Trail: Report

WAUWATOSA, WI -- Authorities in Wauwatosa say a 32-year-old woman has been arrested and charged after she attempted multiple times to set fire to her apartment building.

Whitney Roberson, who lives at an apartment on the 6600 block of W. Center Street, has been arrested and charged with felony arson. If convicted, Roberson faces up to 25 years behind bars.

Roberson is currently on a $7,500 signature bond from the Milwaukee County Jail, and is due back in court on June 25 for her preliminary hearing.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, Wauwatosa fire fighters responded to the apartment on the 6600 block of W. Center Street at just before 4 a.m. on Sunday, April 28 on a report that other residents could smell gasoline in the building.

When fire fighters responded, they reportedly found that an unspecified amount of gas had been poured down a basement drain. They were called back to the same location at just after 2 p.m. - this time on a report of a fire.

According to the criminal complaint, fire fighters found two extinguished fires in the basement and a clothes dresser on fire in the first-floor bedroom.

The fire was quickly put out, and investigators determined there to be $30,000 in damage to the building, and $3,000 in personal property damage, investigators reported.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators questioned Roberson about the multiple fires found in her apartment. Investigators said she initially denied being at the apartment at the time the fires were reported, however her story didn't add up.

Investigators said Roberson couldn't account for her whereabouts for about 70 minutes between her grandmother's house and church, which were only 20 minutes apart by car.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators attempted multiple times to search Roberson's cell phone for evidence, trying on May 9, 10 and 15.

When investigators did manage to retrieve data from her cell phone, they reported the following search entries were made:

• April 2: “renters insurance in Wauwatosa Wisconsin”
• April 16: “how long does it take to get a hardship [withdrawal] from my John Hancock 401(k)”
• April 29: “what happens during an arson investigation”
• April 29: “is arson a felony”
• April 29: “how long does an arson investigation take”
• April 30: “how long does Walmart keep their security footage”
• May 1: “how do I permanently delete locations from my phone”
• May 12: “what happens when a phone is dumped”
• May 14: “how long does it take from things to permanently delete from [my] phone”

According to the criminal complaint, when investigators contacted the local Walmart for surveillance footage, they reportedly found Roberson buying Diamond Brand Strike-A-Fire Starters and a gas can on April 26 - the same type of fire starters that investigators found at the scene.