A rural Bloomfield woman was arrested this week and has been charged with two counts of arson. She’s accused of setting fires in her own residence.

Christina Marie Hamlin, 37, of rural Bloomfield, was taken into custody by Deputy Terry Wade of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday, June 16, on a warrant that was issued for her arrest last Friday, June 12.

On Thursday morning, Hamlin appeared in Greene Circuit Court via videoconference between the jail and the courtroom for an initial hearing and was charged with two counts of arson, both are Level 4 felonies, and false informing, a Class B misdemeanor.

The charges were filed as a result of an investigation by GCSD Detective Shawn Cullison.

Hamlin reportedly called the sheriff’s department at 7:11 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, and said she had a fire in her house but they put it out. She allegedly said it was the second time the house had caught fire that day, both times in the laundry room, with little damage done.

The next day, around 11:03 a.m., Hamlin called the sheriff’s department again and reported there was a fire, this time in the kitchen. Firefighters from the Richland Fire Department were dispatched and after they arrived, they said the fire appeared to have been set by someone and they requested an officer.

GCSD Deputies Terry Wade and Jimmy Carpenter responded and said the fire damaged curtains around a kitchen window. Hamlin allegedly said she thought the neighbors had started the fire. Det. Cullison notes in a probable cause affidavit that there is a long documented history of Hamlin’s complaints against the same neighbors.

The deputies contacted the Greene County Department of Child Services (DCS) – Hamlin resided at the home with her husband, mother and two very young children.

Det. Cullison interviewed both the husband and mother – both had been present at the home when the fires started and they both told the same story.

When Det. Cullison interviewed Hamlin, she also told of the events but tried to blame neighbors. Det. Cullison reported later in the interview, Hamlin admitted to starting the fires, saying she didn’t want to hurt anybody but was just trying to get her husband to move.

During her hearing, a public defender was appointed to represent Hamlin and her bond was reduced to $15,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. A date for a trial by jury is currently set for late October. As of Friday night, June 19, Hamlin had not yet posted bond and was still in jail.