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Homestead woman charged with kidnapping, burning Farrell man after cocaine mishap
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Pennsylvania State Police continue to search for a second person after a Farrell man was kidnapped, stripped, bound and set ablaze after cocaine would not cook properly.
Marlena Jones, 34, of Homestead was charged with attempted homicide and taken to the Indiana County Jail, where Magisterial District Judge Jennifer Rega ordered her held on $500,000 bond.
Thomas Pierce III, 19, of Farrell told state police in Indiana County that Ms. Jones and another man rode with Ms. Jones to Pittsburgh to buy cocaine Monday evening, according to an affidavit of probable cause state police filed.
Mr. Pierce directed Ms. Jones and the man to a drug dealer from whom they purchased what appeared to be cocaine, according to the affidavit. Ms. Jones and the other man, whose identity is still unknown, tried to cook the cocaine.
When the cocaine would not cook, Ms. Jones and the unidentified man became angry at Mr. Pierce, seized his cell phone, drove him to an apartment in Homestead, stripped him of most of his clothing, duct taped his mouth, neck, wrists and ankles and forced him into a laundry basket, according to the affidavit.
Mr. Pierce told police Ms. Jones and the other man drove him to Route 286, where they pulled him out of the laundry basket and poured lighter fluid on him.
He said Ms. Jones then tried to shoot him but failed because the gun malfunctioned, according to the affidavit. Ms. Jones and the man lit Mr. Pierce on fire instead, according to the affidavit.
He rolled on the ground to put out the fire and escaped his attackers, who had fled by the time police arrived at the scene, according to the affidavit.
A passerby called state police, who called for medics to take Mr. Pierce to Indiana Hospital, where he was treated for a burn on his left arm, according to a state police press release said.
Troopers said they arrested Ms. Jones at her home in Homestead.
First Published July 18, 2012 10:44 am
