Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
KEARNS — A woman already awaiting trial for her role in a decadelong abuse case was arrested again over the weekend after police say she set her house on fire.
About 4 a.m. Saturday, Unified police and firefighters were called to a house fire near 5100 South and 5100 West.
“The homeowner/suspect stated she had drugs in her purse and needed to get her other medications from the home. The suspect got loud and belligerent with UFA fire investigators,” according to a police affidavit.
Police officers found several bags of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, as well as prescription pills in the homeowner’s purse, the report states. Fire investigators determined there were several points of ignition in the house. Damage to the home was estimated at $75,000, according to the Unified Fire Authority.
Larissa Esperanza Wade, 40, of Kearns, was arrested for investigation of aggravated arson, two counts of drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.
In February, Wade was charged with witness tampering and obstructing justice in a separate case that also involved her husband.
Related
Utah couple charged in decadelong abuse case
A Kearns man accused of sexually abusing multiple girls over the past decade faces 16 criminal charges, including 13 felonies alleging sex crimes.Arthur Robert Wade, 48, was charged in 3rd District Court with four counts of rape, two counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, two counts of sodomy on a child and three counts of forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies, and five other crimes. He is accused of sexually abusing at least four girls over the past 10 years in Utah, Colorado and Nevada, according to Unified police. The victims’ ages ranged between 12 and 17, court records state.
In August, Wade pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse of a child and forcible sodomy, both first-degree felonies, plus witness tampering, a third-degree felony. A sentencing date had not been set as of Monday.
Larissa Wade told police she had evidence of the crimes, but then purposely deleted that recorded information from her phone and told one of the girls not to testify, charging documents state.
She is scheduled to go to trial in November.
