A 13-year-old girl is facing attempted murder, arson and other charges in a series of fires meant to kill her family, Jefferson County authorities say.
She was arrested after her fourth attempt, Jefferson County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said tonight.
The teen is suspected of starting the Meyer Ranch fire along U.S. Highway 285 near Conifer in April, which forced the evacuation of 80 homes before firefighters contained the 40-acre wildfire.
The girl and her family lived near where the fire started, Kelley said.
At the time, investigators found evidence of arson but could not determine who set the fire. They also suspected arson in two other fires that broke out at the family’s home within the next 24 hours, the second of which burned the home to the ground.
No other homes were lost, and no one, including any of the girl’s six family members, was hurt.
After losing their home to fire, the family moved to the Evergreen area. Last week, a grass fire was intentionally set near their new home, but it did not burn any structures.
“The similarities in the fires were very hard to ignore,” Kelley said.
Investigators reinterviewed family members before the girl was arrested, but Kelley said she could not discuss the content of those interviews.
The girl was arrested Tuesday and is curently being held without bond at Mount View Youth Services Center in southwest Denver.
Kelley said the teen faces “a laundry list” of charges.
The girl and her family are not being named because she is a juvenile.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
