24 August 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KSNF) – A woman from Nixa, Missouri, is in jail accused of using spicy tortilla chips to start a house fire.
Forty-two-year-old Patricia Williams is being held in Greene County Jail for arson and other warrants after an incident on August 11.
According to a probable cause report, when Springfield police arrived, they saw smoke coming out of the back door with people standing out front. The witnesses told police that they saw Williams pour gasoline from a soda bottle onto clothes and the floor of the laundry room and then light Takis tortilla chips on fire and toss them into the laundry room.
Three other people were inside the house at the time but were able to escape unhurt. Williams was arrested at the scene. Police say Williams was caught on video at a gas station prepaying for $2 worth of gasoline.
Court documents say Williams admitted to police that she intentionally lit the fire. She reportedly told police she chose the chips because she knew they were greasy, which would make them burn well.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 6.