NEWTON — A 26-year-old woman with a history of mental illness has been charged with setting fire to her Sparta home, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office.
Lindsey Kiensicki was charged on Friday with second-degree aggravated arson in connection with a Feb. 28 fire that destroyed the home she shared with her parents on Fox Trail Road, First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said.
Kiensicki suffered severe burns to her head, face and arms in the blaze, which
broke out around 7 p.m., shortly after her parents, Bob and Lois Kiensicki, left her alone to go to a support group meeting for families affected by mental illness, Mueller said.
“This is a very sad case and I have a great deal of sympathy for the victims, Lindsey’s parents. It appears the catalyst for the offense was acute mental illness that the defendant and her family have been battling for many years,” said Mueller.
2 trchristie HINDASH.JPG
On mobile or desktop:
• Follow @starledger on Twitter
And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.
Kiensicki apparently accidentally set fire to herself when she ignited gasoline that she poured throughout her house, said Mueller. She was found at the end of the driveway by police while the fire was burning behind her.
There was no one in the house at the time of the fire, the prosecutor’s office said.
Kiensicki was charged Friday at the St. Barnabas Medical Center burn unit in Livingston, where she is recovering from her injuries. She is scheduled to appear Monday in Superior Court to face the charge.
Mueller said Kiensicki was previously arrested on drug charges in Essex County, but the status of those charges could not be determined today.
RELATED COVERAGE
• Sparta house fire ruled arson; woman who was burned remains in 'very critical' condition