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Woman to stand trial on charges of kidnapping, attempted homicide
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A Homestead woman accused of kidnapping a man and setting him on fire over a dispute involving cocaine was ordered today to stand trial.
Magisterial District Judge Jennifer Rega found during a preliminary hearing this morning that there was enough evidence to hold Marlena Jones, 34, for trial on charges of attempted homicide, kidnapping, assault and other crimes.
Ms. Jones was arrested last month after state police said Thomas Pierce III, 19, of Farrell, told troopers that Ms. Jones and another man stripped, bound and kidnapped him and then lit him on fire.
Troopers wrote in an affidavit that Mr. Pierce said he rode with Ms. Jones and the other man to Pittsburgh to buy cocaine and Ms. Jones and the man became angry when it would not cook properly.
Mr. Pierce then told troopers the pair covered his mouth, neck, wrists and ankles with duct tape, shoved him into a laundry basket and drove him to Route 286, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Mr. Pierce said the two pulled him out of the basket and poured lighter fluid on him before Ms. Jones tried unsuccessfully to shoot him with a handgun that malfunctioned, troopers wrote in the court documents. Mr. Pierce told troopers the two then lit him on fire and he escaped by rolling on the ground. Mr. Pierce was treated for a burn on his left arm.
Ms. Jones remains in the Indiana County Jail on $500,000 bail, according to online court records.
First Published August 8, 2012 10:29 pm
