POLK COUNTY, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls woman was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for starting a fire at the East Grand Forks Islamic Center in 2022.
Suzette Gay Thompson, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree arson. A second count was dismissed.
On June 5, 2022, an East Grand Forks police officer responded to a fire at the Islamic Center. A reporting party showed the officer a partially melted and burnt curtain. Two men had arrived at the center to pray, and one observed a woman, later identified as Thompson, fleeing the building. Upon investigating, he noticed the curtain was on fire.
Surveillance footage revealed Thompson using a lighter and a spray can to start the fire. She then discarded the can and left the scene.
Thompson was arrested later that morning. During questioning, she stated she had been drinking and did not remember the incident but admitted recognizing the hairspray can and herself in the footage. Her breath test registered a 0.00 result.
Thompson received a stayed sentence of 48 months for five years, during which she will be on supervised probation. She served 127 days in custody before sentencing. She must complete evaluations and any recommended treatments and is prohibited from contacting the victims or being within 300 feet of the Islamic Center.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me