Woman charged in pet shop arson allowed to travel to California
The woman facing dozens of animal cruelty charges in the Prince and Princess Pet Boutique fire has been granted a temporary reprieve from house arrest.
On Monday, District Judge David Barker allowed Gloria Lee to travel to Los Angeles between Sept. 19 and 23 to attend a service for her late father, who died in 2005.
Defense attorney Ozzie Fumo said Lee attends the annual service as part of Korean tradition.
“It would be disrespectful of her not to go,” Fumo said.
Lee and Kirk Bills are charged with 27 counts of attempted animal cruelty along with burglary and arson in connection with the Jan. 27 fire.
Prosecutors say Bills and Lee can be seen on surveillance video from the pet shop that shows a woman letting a man with dreadlocks into the shop. The man splashed gasoline and kerosene onto the animal cages and tried to start a fire as the woman pulled documents from the business and collected empty fuel cans before the fire was set.
The blaze was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler system in the store, and the dogs survived unharmed.
Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker.
