A woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after using a packet of Takis tortilla chips to set fire to a home with three people inside.
Patricia Williams, 44, told the court that she believed the snack to be highly flammable due to its grease content, Need To Know reports.
She was sentenced on Tuesday (7 January) after pleading guilty to committing first-degree arson in Greene County, Missouri.
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Williams was captured on surveillance footage buying $2 worth of gasoline at a nearby gas station.
She proceeded to pour the gasoline, which was stored in a soda bottle, on the home’s floor and a pile of laundry.
Williams then set fire to the tortilla chips and used them to ignite the larger blaze.
There were three people inside the house at the time who all escaped without injury.
Williams was immediately reported to police and according to local news outlets, she was captured with soot from the fire still on her face.
Complaining of smoke inhalation, she was treated at a local ER, accompanied by an officer, before being booked at Greene County Jail.
The incident took place on 11 August 2023.
According to court documents, several existing warrants for her arrest were then discovered.
Fire Marshall Travis Morrissey, who investigated the case, said: “I located a green soda bottle and an open bag of Takis chips in the kitchen near the laundry room.
“The soda bottle had a strong odour of an ignitable liquid emitting from the inside, and I determined the Takis chips could support a flame during a flammability test.”
Williams’ relationship with those inside the home is not known.
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