Guilty: Woman Turns Car into Molotov Cocktail for Insurance Money

Setting insured vehicles  on fire for the money is one way of committing insurance fraud. One Media, PA woman gave that a go with her car, and was later found guilty of several charges, including both arson and insurance fraud.

According to Media Patch and the District Attorney’s Office, Katherine Davis had her jury trial on August 4^th. Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugan prosecuted the case.

Davis was found guilty of first degree felony arson, third degree felony insurance fraud, and two counts of false reports to law enforcements, which are third degree misdemeanors. All counts stem from an incident where Davis first damaged her car with a hammer and then set it on fire.

State Police met Davis at her apartment on February 3, 2010 due to a report of criminal mischief. According to the Office of the District Attorney’s Public Information Officer Erica Parham, Davis told police that she had discovered five holes in the rear window of her 2005 Honda Accord and did not know who damaged the vehicle.

Neighbors told police that earlier that day they heard a loud banging sound in the parking lot and witnessed Davis hitting her vehicle with a hammer.

Then on Feb. 4, 2010 at approximately 5 a.m., neighbors saw Davis arrive home in her Accord and watched her open the trunk and then walk to the driver’s side of the vehicle and appeared to be working on something, according to Parham.  Davis then walked to her apartment.

The neighbors observed smoke coming from Davis’ vehicle before she was inside her apartment and then a short time later the vehicle was engulfed in flames, according to Parham.

Other than Davis, no one had been anywhere near the vehicle.

After the Lenni Heights Fire Company was sent out to the apartment complex, they found the vehicle engulfed in flames on the left rear side. It was noted that the vehicle was parked about 20 to 25 feet from a building and that a vehicle that was parked next to the Accord was on fire as well.

Parham also noted that fire personnel believed the fire to be suspicious. This is based on the fact that they found what looked like the charred remains of paper towels in the gas tank filler neck.  Oops!

The Fire Marshal for the Pennsylvania State Police determined that the cause of the fire was arson.

Also on February 4^th, Davis contacted her auto insurance company, Allstate, to report that her vehicle had been burned.

Judge Michael F.X. Coll, who presided over the two-day trial, set Davis’ bail at $100,000, 10 percent. Unable to post bail, Davis was sent to the Delaware County Prison to await sentencing, which is set for October 17^th.