Santa Monica woman faces murder, arson charges in fire that killed 93-year-old woman who shared home
A Santa Monica woman has been charged with murder and accused of setting fire to a home this week, leading to the death of the elderly woman she lived with, authorities said.
Investigators believe that Victoria Renae Darlington, 26, intentionally set fire to a garage attached to a single-family home in the 2600 block of 31st Street in Santa Monica around 9:40 p.m. Monday, according to a statement by the Santa Monica Police Department.
As Santa Monica firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, an elderly woman was found unconscious inside the home, police said. She was pronounced dead at an area hospital a short time later.
Darlington was arrested by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department the next day near Joshua Tree, Santa Monica Police Lt. Saul Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez confirmed that Darlington lived at the home with the woman, but he declined to elaborate on their relationship.
Prosecutors filed murder and arson charges in the case Thursday, Rodriguez said. Darlington has a history of “mental instability,” according to Rodriguez, who said city police officers have detained her on mental health holds in the past.
Investigators do not believe Darlington and the victim were involved in a dispute before the incident, and Rodriguez declined to say how the fire was set.
Darlington is being held in lieu of $2-million bail. She is expected to appear in court Thursday.
Ed Winter, spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, said the victim was a 93-year-old woman. Her identity is being withheld until notification of her family, according to Winter, who declined to comment on her cause of death before an autopsy was completed. Rodriguez said police believe that the woman likely died of smoke inhalation.
Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT
UPDATES:
3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the coroner’s office and updated information about the date of the fire.
This article originally published at 12:40 p.m.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
