Woman Allegedly Sets Family Home Ablaze While Trying to Reconcile Marriage as Husband and Son Look On

A Citrus County woman was charged with felony arson after allegedly setting her family home on fire.

According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, 40-year-old Melissa Dunham was taken into custody after a 911 caller informed authorities that a “woman just set the house on fire.”

Citrus County Fire Rescue responded on March 30 to a structure fire on S. Powell Pt. in Homosassa.

Units were dispatched at 10:23 a.m. and arrived to find a residential structure heavily involved in fire. Crews quickly brought the fire under control and searched the home.

No occupants were found inside during searches.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office were subsequently alerted.

According to WFLA, deputies spoke with the homeowner, Dunham’s husband, and the couple’s 18-year-old son, who was living in the home with his father.

The son told deputies his parents had been living apart for a long time until recently reconnecting around his 18th birthday.

Dunham and her husband then decided to “attempt rekindling their marriage,” and she moved into the South Powell Street home, as per an arrest affidavit.

However, the couple had disagreements and their fights often escalated to physical violence, with Dunham allegedly throwing things and verbally abusing her husband and son, the affidavit said.

The teenager informed police that he didn’t want to be involved in his parents’ “toxic relationship” anymore and was planning to move out soon.

He tried to charge his phone and went to sleep, but realized the following morning that the power had been shut off at the home, which the affidavit said was possibly due to lack of payment.

Right before the fire started, the husband was sitting in his parked car nearby and charging his phone, while the suspect was inside the home.

Dunham later walked out of the house with her belongings and two small dogs and began approaching her husband’s car.

She then reportedly yelled, “Now we both don’t have s***.”

Moments later, they realized the house was on fire.

Dunham was found sitting on the side of a nearby street, with a large bottle of butane lighter fluid in a tote bag.

She was taken into custody without incident, the affidavit said.

Deputies recovered 6.45 grams of methamphetamine, a bag with more than 20 grams of marijuana, and multiple syringes with hypodermic needles from Dunham.

She was charged with felony arson of a dwelling with people present, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. She also faces domestic violence-related charges, according to court documents.

Dunham is being held in the Citrus County Detention Facility and was denied bond.