MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A woman was arrested Monday after allegedly lighting clothing on fire during a dispute with her wife at their home in Myrtle Beach, according to a police report.
Janeca Davenport, 43, was charged with third-degree arson and second-degree simple assault.
Police said officers were called to investigate a disturbance at the home, and when they arrived, the victim told officers that Davenport had been drinking heavily and yelling about “nothing in particular,” according to the report.
The victim told Davenport she would leave and call the police, and that’s when Davenport allegedly grabbed the victim’s phone from her right hand to prevent her from calling the police and slammed the victim on the floor and stormed out of the home, according to the report.
Reports state that Davenport left the scene in her vehicle and never returned.
Throughout the altercation, the victim told officers that she could smell something burning but was unsure where it was coming from, the report said. After going upstairs, she found her clothing on fire on a table in the guest bedroom. She told officers that Davenport had put clothing in a hamper, which was on top of a wooden table.
The fire department responded, and the fire was put out before any permanent damage was done to the home, according to the report.
The victim’s neck was red, and she had a small scratch on the right side of her neck, but she refused medical attention at the scene, police said.
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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.