Lakescha Warley
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee woman accused of causing fire damage inside a Milwaukee apartment building that later became the site of a fatal fire that occurred on Mother’s Day pleaded not guilty to charges on Wednesday, June 11.
45-year-old Lakescha Warley is charged with the following:
- Arson of property other than building
- Criminal damage to property (less than $2,500 damage)
Before Warley entered her plea, the court heard testimony in a preliminary hearing. The judge then found probable cause to find Warley over for trial.
Case details
What we know:
According to the criminal complaint, the fire damage was not connected or related to any other fire damage in other portions of the apartment complex, and was deemed an isolated fire location and damage area.
It happened at Highland Court Apartments near 27th and Highland on Sunday, May 11.
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During a walk-through of the apartment building, the apartment manager pointed out a damaged key fob, which controlled the entrance from the building to the parking structure. According to the criminal complaint, the key fob had been pulled off the wall, but still had power and was beeping. The bottom of the unit was melted from heat damage, consistent with someone applying fire or heat to this unit. The damage appeared consistent with a direct open flame source being applied to the key fob. There was also a burn mark above the key fob reader consistent with an open flame being applied to this key fob. The cover to the key fob was on the floor, and also appeared to have fire damage.
After reviewing security video footage from the hallway, officials noted a woman – ultimately deemed to be Warley – enter the hallway around 5:30 a.m. She is not a resident of the building and does not have permission to be in the building, the complaint indicates.
Detectives deduced that Warley could be seen setting fire damage to the key fob with an open flame and then leaving.
Dig deeper:
According to the criminal complaint, Warley returned just after 6:30 a.m. and appears to be kicking at the wall at the area of the key fob. From security footage, detectives figured that it was consistent with Warley using an open flame to the cover on the first trip, coming back and kicking the cover off, and then again putting an open flame to the key fob, explaining why there is flame damage both to the outside and inside the key fob.
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Afterward, Warley admitted to law enforcement that she was the person in the hallway near the key fob. She told detectives she was using a lighter to smoke drugs in the corner, but did not explain how the fire damage ended up on both the inside electrical portion and the outside cover of the key fob, which was consistent with intentionally damaging the key fob exterior and interior with an open flame.
Again, Warley has not been charged in connection with the fatal fire at the same apartment building that occurred later in the morning.
What's next:
Warley is due back in court for a scheduling conference on July 14.
If convicted, Warley faces up to more than four years in prison and approximately $20,000 in fines.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.