Revenge gone wrong: NC woman upset with ex sets fire to wrong house, sheriff says

A woman seeking revenge against her ex-boyfriend set fire to the wrong house, Rowan County sheriff’s investigators said in an incident report.

Armed with a rifle, the homeowner in unincorporated Gold Hill confronted the woman at about 7 a.m. Friday after a neighbor alerted the man to flames on his front porch, according to the report. The woman, standing beside a car, mumbled something incoherently and managed to drive away, investigators said.

WBTV first reported the encounter. Sheriff’s Major John Sifford confirmed details of the case that are listed in the incident report to The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday.

The homeowner retrieved a garden hose, but someone had placed a sealant on the opening, blocking the release of water, according to the sheriff’s report.

The homeowner also saw pieces of wood burning beside a propane tank, the report shows. Gold Hill is about 43 miles northeast of Charlotte.

Deputies soon arrested 49-year-old Christie Louise Jones at her home in Richfield in neighboring Stanly County, according to an arrest report obtained by the Observer.

Jones was jailed on $101,500 secured bond on charges of first-degree arson and misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon. The home and a pool sustained about $20,000 damage, according to the report.

The assault charge stemmed from the fleeing driver brushing the homeowner with the car, according to the incident report. Deputies said Jones also was charged with larceny because she was seen holding one of the homeowners leashed dogs, the report shows.