The girl allegedly tried to burn
down her home while family members slept.
FAYETTE – Alyssa Jensen of Fayette was indicted Friday on attempted murder and arson charges for allegedly setting fire to her family’s home while family members slept.
Two of Jensen’s sisters and her parents escaped the burning home through a window and a door, but her mother received minor burns on her feet.
The house was destroyed in the July blaze.
Kennebec and Somerset counties District Attorney Evert Fowle said both charges are Class A felonies and carry up to 40 years in jail and-or a $50,000 fine. Jensen will be arraigned on the charges Friday, Sept. 19, in Kennebec Superior Court in Augusta.
Jensen, 18, who was initially charged with arson two months ago, has been held on $100,000 cash bail or $250,000 surety at Kennebec County Jail in Augusta since she was arrested by state fire investigator Ken Grimes.
Jensen is accused of pouring an ignitable liquid July 13 inside her family’s home at 258 Baldwin Hill Road to start a fire. Sixty firefighters from the Lake Region Mutual Aid group responded to the fire reported at 2:42 a.m. that Sunday.
The two sisters inside the home had heard a noise like a jet engine and opened the bedroom door to see the fire, Fayette Fire Chief Ron McLallen had said in July.
Jensen’s parents also heard the blaze and opened their door before shutting it, McLallen had said. Parents Stuart and Paula Jensen were able to climb out a window and the girls escaped through a side door. One of the girls ran to a neighbor to call firefighters.
Two other siblings along with Alyssa Jensen were staying outside the home in a travel trailer and an outbuilding on the property when the fire started.
Jensen had left the scene of the fire and was arrested in Oakland the night after the blaze.
In July, a Superior Court justice ordered Jensen to undergo a forensic evaluation at Fowle’s request to determine her state of mind.
Jensen’s attorney J. Mitchell Flick of Winthrop was unavailable for comment Friday.
dperry@sunjournal.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.