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Police: Arcadia woman intentionally sets house on fire, kills 3 kids

Posted at 10:05 AM, Mar 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-13 18:16:20-04

The Arcadia Police Department is investigating a fire that killed three children inside a home Saturday.

Police have arrested Marian Williams in this case, charging her with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, and arson.

Investigators say Williams set fire to a home on South Lee Avenue around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, killing three children; Marcus Clark, 10, Kiani Clark, 8, and Kemaren Clark, 4.

Two adults, including the grandfather of the children were also inside the home at the time. The grandfather is in serious condition, while the other person got out of the home without injuries. Williams is the ex-girlfriend of the grandfather.

"Why?" asked Emily Morris, who teaches at the school two of the boys attended, "Why would someone hurt these innocent children?"

Desoto Sheriff's Office says Williams was arrested Friday morning for breaking into the same house and jumping on the grandfather and fighting him. She bonded out of jail at 12:30 on Friday afternoon. 

"Trust us we talked about that too," said Arcadia Chief of Police Matt Anderson, "'What could we have done to try to do this? What could we have charged with? Something else, you know, everybody has a right to bond out, so I don't think there's any way we could have kept her in that jail at all."

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