Woman who likes to throw fire arrested for arson

A woman served with eviction papers at her Des Moines apartment was arrested on a charge of first-degree arson. Police said in a report that Cassie Ellen Majerus, 26, started a fire in her apartment shortly after noon on Wednesday.

Majerus was still on scene when firefighters arrived. Other occupants of the building told investigators they heard Majerus yelling that her apartment was on fire. One of the residents grabbed a fire extinguisher at put out the fire.

While investigating the damage, officers discovered that the smoke alarms had been removed from the ceiling and placed in a closet by the bathroom, police said.

The police report says Majerus told officers she became frightened. “She stated that she likes to throw fire at things when she gets scared,” police said. Bond was set at $25,000.