Suspect arrested in arson at North Las Vegas apartment
A meeting at a North Las Vegas “underground strip club” followed by a dispute over money has led to the arrest of a woman on arson, attempted murder and assault charges, police said.
Naomi Ransome, 35, was arrested this week by North Las Vegas police.
A warrant states on Oct. 3, a woman met Ransome at an “underground strip club near the area of Losee Road, between Cheyenne Avenue and Craig Road.”
Ransome, police said, told the woman she was homeless, so the woman invited Ransome to stay at her apartment. The woman told police that after arriving at the apartment, Ransome smoked methamphetamine, then started claiming the woman stole $800 from her. Ransome, the woman said, pulled a gun, pointed it at her, trashed the apartment, then fled. Police were called but they could not locate Ransome.
The woman said she awoke at 5:45 a.m. to the sound of a “loud bang” and heard Ransome’s voice.
“Ransome was yelling about her missing money,” police said in the warrant.
The woman called police again, then realized the exterior of her apartment was on fire. North Las Vegas Fire Department arson investigators ultimately found a plastic garbage can set up against the outside wall of the single-story apartment with gasoline spread all around the trash can, police said.
“Ransome then ignited the volatile vapors with a lighter, causing the now fuel fed fire to propagate up against the verical exterior wall,” police said.
The woman escaped unharmed and the fire was extinguished.
Police said they conducted an extensive search for Ransome in the days and weeks after the blaze, but could not find her. A warrant for her arrest was issued Feb. 4 charging her with with first-degree arson, attempted murder and assault.
Online court records indicate Ransome was arraigned in North Las Vegas Justice Court on Tuesday and ultimately ordered released on house arrest. However she remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center Friday morning.
The court records also indicate Ransome has a prior record for battery causing substantial bodily harm dating to 2009.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.
