A woman set a small fire in a house after she got into a fight with the homeowner.
On Oct. 24, around 6:30 pm, McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Harland Soseeah was dispatched to 9 Broadway Ave. after a woman identified by Metro Dispatch as Taylor Vandever threatened to burn a house down.
When Soseeah arrived at the house he met with a victim who said he was sleeping when Vandever, 32, came into the house and started “beating him up.” The victim said he was stabbed with something a few times before he was able to get away from Vandever.
The victim ran out of the house, jumped the fence, and ran toward his neighbor’s house before having the neighbor call the police for help. The victim claimed that Vandever started a fire inside the house.
According to Soseeah’s report, he did notice some smoke coming from inside the house. Soseeah entered the house and identified himself as a MCSO deputy, but the victim said Vandever had already left the house.
Heavy smoke was coming from a small fire on top of the stove. The victim was able to put the fire out with some water, but the top of the stove was already damaged.
After Soseeah took photos of the fire damage and the victim’s injuries the victim told him: “Taylor is crazy and I don’t want her here at my house.”
The victim said he’d been sleeping when Vandever showed up at the house and started allegedly attacking him.
According to his report, Soseeah did notice some small stab wounds on the victim’s left arm.
The victim said he saw Vandever leave the house, heading north on Broadway Avenue.
Soseeah told the victim to call the police again if Vandever showed back up at the house. The victim explained that he couldn’t call because Vandever took his phone. He said he would turn on his porch light if she came back.
The victim’s neighbor backed up his story, saying that he heard Vandever yelling at the victim and saying that she would burn the house down. He said he saw her go back inside the house and that he also noticed the fire inside the house.
Soseeah searched around the area for Vandever, but he was unable to find her.
Around 9 pm Soseeah was still driving around the area looking for Vandever when he noticed that the victim’s porch lights were on. He asked for back up, and then he ran into the victim, who said Vandever was back and beating up on him again.
Soseeah entered the house and found Vandever walking out of a back bedroom. She was reportedly yelling “I did not start any arson.”
The deputy placed Vandever in handcuffs, but not before she kicked his leg a couple times.
She then escaped the deputy’s grasp and crawled under a table, refusing to get out. She repeatedly screamed, saying that the deputy was hurting her. As Soseeah tried to grab Vandever’s leg she began to kick him again.
Soseeah moved the table in an effort to try to get to Vandever, and she jumped up and ran to the door, trying to escape. Soseeah grabbed the handcuffs on Vandever’s wrists, and she fell to the ground, claiming that the deputy “body slammed” her.
Deputy Franklin Begaye arrived at the scene around then and helped Soseeah get Vandever into a patrol car. She was transported to a local hospital where she was given medical clearance. She was then driven to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, where she was charged with aggravated battery against a household member, negligent arson, battery upon a peace officer, resisting, evading, or obstructing arrest, interference with communication, and criminal damage to property (under $1,000).
Her preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 8.
