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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A security guard has been arrested for allegedly starting fires and making a bomb threat at the business complex in Cottonwood Heights she was hired to protect.
Brittany Marie Burson, 22, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Friday for investigation of making a threat of terrorism and four counts of aggravated arson.
Police were called to the Cottonwood Corporate Center, at 2825 E. Cottonwood Parkway, at least four times in March. They were first dispatched to a bomb threat on March 2, according to a police booking affidavit. Burson claimed she had received a call from a man claiming there was a bomb in the building and that it needed to be evacuated, the affidavit states. A bomb squad was called, but no explosive devices were found.
On March 11, a fire was started in the women's bathroom in one of the buildings, 2755 E. Cottonwood Parkway. Burson told arriving officers that a garbage can was lit on fire, according to the affidavit. While still on scene, the property managers told police they found the remains of a second fire set in a vacant part of another building, the affidavit states.
"Both fires appeared to be intentionally set causing damage to the building before self-extinguishing or being extinguished by property management staff," according to the affidavit.
Two more fires were reported on March 17, both in men's bathrooms. Property managers told police they would be installing temporary cameras and "locking down access to the building and increasing security officers due to the increased threat to the safety of the occupants within all four buildings."
The next day, another fire was reported, according to the affidavit,
"The fire was located within a garbage can but had spread to the wall of the building causing charring and bubbling of the paint," the affidavit states.
On March 23, detectives learned that the phone number used to call in the bomb threat belonged to Burson, the affidavit states. Police questioned her on Friday.
"During my interview, Burson not only placed herself at the scene of each fire that occurred within the Cottonwood business complex but also described the fires in their incipient stages. Burson confessed to calling in the bomb threat to the security line but would not admit to any further crimes before requesting an attorney," according to the affidavit.
According to police, Burson "did not attempt to extinguish any of the fires but did alert staff to the presence."
After being questioned by detectives, she was arrested.
