Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to 2 Arson Fires
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester woman today entered guilty pleas to charges involving two arson fires at a Rochester duplex last year.
Rochester woman pleads guilty to arson and threats
Olmsted County court records indicate that 46-year-old Jessica Ann Kuhlmann entered guilty pleas to felony counts of first-degree arson and terroristic threats. Under the terms of her plea agreement, a second charge of first-degree arson will be dismissed.
Police responded to Christmas Eve fire
According to court documents, Kuhlmann was arrested on the afternoon of Christmas Eve last year after Rochester police responded to a report of an arson fire at a northeast Rochester duplex. A man living in one of the units told officers that he was driving home when he received an alert on his Ring doorbell camera, which showed Kuhlmann starting a piece of paper on fire and placing it on the front doorstep.
Neighbor restrained suspect after fire
The criminal complaint says the man then described how he drove to his home and extinguished the fire before he spotted Kuhlmann in the alley near the residence. He told police he was able to chase her down and restrain her until police arrived at the scene.
A woman living in the other unit at the duplex provided police with Ring camera video that shows Kuhlmann entering and then exiting the vestibule at the front entrance to the residences and then placing a burning piece of paper on the front step.
Second fire damaged duplex in September
Following her arrest, the court document says Kuhlmann admitted starting the fire and stated that she wanted to scare the female victim because of an ongoing dispute between the two women. Kuhlmann also admitted starting a fire at the same duplex in late September of last year.
Woman jumped from second-story window to escape
In that case, the criminal complaint says Rochester police responded to the duplex on the morning of September 26 after a fire caused damage to the front door and a staircase leading to the female resident's home. She indicated that she was asleep and woke up to the smell of smoke in her apartment before jumping from a second-story window to escape the fire.
The damage from that fire was estimated at around $4,500.
Previous Convictions
Kuhlmann is scheduled to be sentenced in November. Minnesota court records indicate that she has previous felony convictions for simple robbery, first-degree burglary, domestic assault, and drug possession.
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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross
