Docs: Lafayette woman tries to burn home down, claims the ‘devil had a hold on her’

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Police arrested a Lafayette woman accused of setting a house on fire while claiming “the devil had a hold on her.”

According to court documents, 66-year-old Beth Whitehead has been preliminarily charged with Intimidation (Level 6 Felony) and Arson (Level 4 Felony).

On May 20, officers with the Lafayette Police Department were called to the 900 block of Richelle Drive in response to a reported arson. When officers arrived on the scene, they came into contact with Whitehead as she was standing in front of a home with visible flames. They soon determined that she had an active warrant for her arrest, court documents said.

While investigating, police came into contact with a woman and a man. The woman said she was the caregiver of the man, according to court documents.

The woman told officers that she was returning to the residence with the man when they observed flames emerging from inside the home. They also recalled seeing Whitehead standing outside the burning residence.

When they entered the residence, Whitehead allegedly followed them and ran toward a bedroom.

As the woman and man were trying to put the flames out, Whitehead allegedly began yelling that “the devil had a hold on her” and that she was planning to kill the man and woman.

Court documents indicate that Whitehead allegedly set a second fire inside one of the bedrooms after the first fire was extinguished. The man and woman reportedly managed to put out the second fire as well and prevented Whitehead from setting a third fire.

The woman later told police that if they had not arrived when they did, she was confident Whitehead would have burned the entire home down. A short time later, officers observed fire damage at the front window of the home while investigating.

Whitehead reportedly told officers that she intentionally set the curtains inside the home on fire near the front window of the home and that she was “attempting to burn the house down.”

Whitehead was placed under arrest and transported to the Tippecanoe County Jail, where she is currently being held on a $50,000 surety bond.

Online court records indicate that Whitehead is scheduled to appear in Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 on Oct. 14.