ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando woman who was charged with arson claims she's the victim of scammers, investigators said.
Shawnta Knight told police she set a home on fire because she was targeted by scammers on Craigslist, authorities said.
The fire happened in early October, but Knight was arrested on Tuesday.
Neighbors said Knight had lived in the foreclosed home for weeks.
Raw: Woman accused of torching foreclosed home
Detectives said they could not confirm that Knight was a victim of a Craigslist scam, but there is evidence that she took a hammer to the walls of the foreclosed home and torched the back bedroom.
Dave Kellam sells foreclosed homes.
"I will say that's the first time in 25 years that anybody's ever sets fire to a property," said Kellam. "That was on a Saturday and we gave her until the following Sunday to be out of the property."
The home belonged to a woman who died, and when her family couldn't make the payments, they signed it over to the bank.
Authorities said Knight claims that she paid someone $2,000 to stay in the home.
Investigators said that when the bank discovered that Knight was there, officials told her she had to leave.
Detectives said Knight claimed that she torched the home because she couldn't take her bedroom furniture.
"This was not a craigslist scam person," said Kellam.
Investigators said Knight also violated her parole for past convictions on robbery, battery and theft.
WFTV
