Teh One Who Knocks
11-03-2011, 12:15 AM
by Tom Alex - The Des Moines Register
http://i.imgur.com/MUihK.jpg
The alleged motive in a Des Moines arson case is tied to actions on Facebook, a social networking site, according to police.
Detectives have arrested Jennifer Christine Harris, 30, of Des Moines, on a charge of first-degree arson. She is being held in the Polk County Jail on $100,000 bond.
The fire broke out in a garage at the Jim and Nikki Rasmussen residence, 2351 E. 40th Court on Oct. 27.
Officials said the fire at 1 a.m., caused a popping sound and then a “boom.” The family was sleeping at the time but the sounds alerted family members to the danger. They managed to escape as the siding on their house began to melt from the heat of the fire in the detached garage.
The roof of the garage collapsed on cars stored in the garage. Other stored property also was lost in the blaze.
Officers asked Jim Rasmussen if anyone would want to harm him of his family and he provided the name Jennifer “Jen” Harris. He said Harris was a long-time friend of his wife but they were now involved in a dispute.
A police report says that when an officer asked Nikki Rasmussen about Jen Harris, Rasmussen said “… the two are no longer friends due to a dispute over Facebook. According to Nikki, Jen is angry with her because she ended their friendship on Facebook.”
The report goes on to mention a “fake Facebook account.” But Police Detective Jack Kamerick said only that it involved “Facebook issues and kept building and building and text messages that were sent.”
“Things were posted on Facebook,” Kamerick said. “Jen asked Nikki to create an event on Facebook for a party. Nikki did that. As the date for the party approached “there were a lot of ‘declines,’ on Facebook, the detective said. It was looking like the party might be a bust. The dispute apparently blossomed. So when the garage went up in flames, Harris became the first name that occurred to the victims.
Police say an investigation supports that suspicion.
http://i.imgur.com/MUihK.jpg
The alleged motive in a Des Moines arson case is tied to actions on Facebook, a social networking site, according to police.
Detectives have arrested Jennifer Christine Harris, 30, of Des Moines, on a charge of first-degree arson. She is being held in the Polk County Jail on $100,000 bond.
The fire broke out in a garage at the Jim and Nikki Rasmussen residence, 2351 E. 40th Court on Oct. 27.
Officials said the fire at 1 a.m., caused a popping sound and then a “boom.” The family was sleeping at the time but the sounds alerted family members to the danger. They managed to escape as the siding on their house began to melt from the heat of the fire in the detached garage.
The roof of the garage collapsed on cars stored in the garage. Other stored property also was lost in the blaze.
Officers asked Jim Rasmussen if anyone would want to harm him of his family and he provided the name Jennifer “Jen” Harris. He said Harris was a long-time friend of his wife but they were now involved in a dispute.
A police report says that when an officer asked Nikki Rasmussen about Jen Harris, Rasmussen said “… the two are no longer friends due to a dispute over Facebook. According to Nikki, Jen is angry with her because she ended their friendship on Facebook.”
The report goes on to mention a “fake Facebook account.” But Police Detective Jack Kamerick said only that it involved “Facebook issues and kept building and building and text messages that were sent.”
“Things were posted on Facebook,” Kamerick said. “Jen asked Nikki to create an event on Facebook for a party. Nikki did that. As the date for the party approached “there were a lot of ‘declines,’ on Facebook, the detective said. It was looking like the party might be a bust. The dispute apparently blossomed. So when the garage went up in flames, Harris became the first name that occurred to the victims.
Police say an investigation supports that suspicion.