Gwinnett woman accused of burning her own apartment

By Ty Tagami

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Gwinnett County woman was charged with arson Monday after an early-morning fire in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, investigators say.

Gwinnett fire investigators determined that Tina Varela-Bailey, 30, ignited the fire at 1215 Ivey Park Lane around 5 a.m. after a dispute with her boyfriend, Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said. The fire burned in a closet until it was extinguished by a sprinkler system. It caused smoke and water damage in the apartment, which is off Holcomb Bridge Road.

Fire investigators charged Varela-Bailey with a count of first-degree arson, and served her a warrant in the Gwinnett County Detention Center, Rutledge said. Police had deposited her there after charging her with a count of battery, according to the jail's Web site.