Background: News footage of the scene of the alleged arson in Milwaukee, Wis. (WISN). Inset: Charmilia Jeffries (Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office).
A Wisconsin woman was arrested and charged with arson after she allegedly told police she was conducting a "satanic ritual" in her apartment.
Charmilia Jeffries, 36, was arrested after Milwaukee first responders were called to the scene of a fire at an apartment building on 75th Street on Dec. 21. While no one was hurt, Jeffries' explanation for why she allegedly set her apartment on fire on purpose raised eyebrows — it was part of a "satanic ritual" that she was doing to counteract the "witchcraft traps" in her home.
According to the criminal complaint obtained by WISN, a local ABC affiliate, Jeffries allegedly asked her son, who was not identified and whose age was not provided, to take down the smoke detectors in their home. Jeffries stated that the detectors were "suspicious."
The fire was enough to get the fire department and police on the scene. When Jeffries was questioned by detectives, she told them, per the complaint, that this was a "satanic ritual that they do around these times," adding that "they['ve] been [setting] me up, putting witchcraft traps around my house."
Jeffries was taken into custody on Dec. 21 and charged with felony arson. She is being held at the Milwaukee County Jail on $7,5000 bond. A court date has not been specified.
