Woman arrested on arson, insurance fraud charges in car fire off OBT

March 06-- Mar. 6--A 32-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday, accused of setting her car on fire near Orange Blossom Trail on Christmas Eve.

Tondra Shenika Roberts faces felony charges of arson and burning to defraud an insurer, records show.

According to court records, firefighters were called to the 3700 block of All American Boulevard about 11:50 p.m. Dec. 24, arriving to find a four-door BMW that was engulfed in flames.

Investigators described the car as apparently abandoned, with the key in the ignition and a box of matches on the driver's seat. In the passenger door, police found an empty Heineken bottle with a paper towel inside of it, apparently used as a wick, police said.

The affidavit states Roberts was the registered owner of the car and a reciept was found inside with her name on it.

Roberts reportedly told police she had last used the car around 7 p.m. the night before to drive to a nearby 7-Eleven and back. She said the car was supposed to be repossessed and she left the keys inside in case someone showed up to take it, records show.

Roberts said she filed an insurance claim for the damage.

According to police, lab reports for samples from the car came back positive for gasoline. The lien holder had been trying to get the car back for months, "but could never find it," the affidavit said.

Phone records showed Roberts called her grandmother during the blaze, and the call pinged a cell phone tower that was about 800 feet from the fire -- but several miles from her home, which police said contradicted her claim that she was home at the time.

A warrant was issued for Roberts' arrest Feb. 18. She was jailed about 3 p.m. Tuesday and has since been released.

[email protected], 407-420-5171 or @JeffWeinerOS on Twitter

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