Trial begins for Erie woman accused of arson
A prosecutor on Monday asked an
Calipo, 41, of
In her opening statement Monday, First Assistant District Attorney
Hirz said Calipo took her dogs to a friend's house two days before the fire and planned for her children to be out of the house at the time of the blaze.
Investigators said the cause of the fire was an aerosol can and cloth found inside the house's oven, court documents show.
Calipo's lawyer,
"
Calipo was initially expected to plead to one count each of risking catastrophe and insurance fraud in an agreement with the district attorney's office that would have withdrawn the remaining charges.
But Calipo repeatedly refused to plead to the charges, twice appearing before Brabender at plea hearings where she said she was innocent. She asked that her case be dismissed in one of the hearings.
Calipo has been free on
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