A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty to burning down the home of a man who called her for sex at 4 a.m., then fell asleep.
Taija Russell struck a plea deal that with prosecutors that saw her plead guilty to arson. In exchange, authorities will recommend a maximum eight-year prison term, the Smoking Gun reported Monday.
Russell will be sentenced on Jan. 9 for the alleged 2019 incident that began when the victim texted Russell to “bring ya ass” before calling it a night and going to bed alone.
The defendant allegedly called the victim eight times before texting “I see you wanna die” and accused him of wasting her time and money.
Investigators said Russell then went to a Woodbury, N.J. gas station, purchased incendiary materials, and lit the man’s house on fire.
The victim awoke, escaped through a window and ran to a nearby police station after suffering burns and smoke inhalation.
Police said the man’s home and its contents were destroyed, though firefighters rescued the victim’s dog. Russell was initially accused of attempted murder.
The Smoking Gun said the defendant participated in a video courtroom appearance Friday accompanied by a child she gave birth to sometime after being charged with the crime she’s accused of committing more that six years ago. It’s unclear why the case took so long to be resolved. The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office couldn’t be reached for comment Monday night.
