Mass. Woman Accused of Torching Apartment After Dispute

June 22, 2014
A partial collapse left three firefighters with minor injuries.

June 22--LAWRENCE -- A woman has been hospitalized and a Lawrence apartment building badly damaged following a domestic dispute that escalated into arson early yesterday morning.

Yohanna Estrella, 34, of Andover has been charged with arson, assault and battery on a household member, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to commit murder after allegedly stabbing her partner, a 38-year-old woman, and then setting the couch in her Haverhill Street apartment on fire.

"Units responded to Haverhill Street for a fire, but when they got there saw ... a female victim who got in a fight with her partner," Lt. Daniel Fleming said. "Yohanna set her couch on fire and then stabbed her in the upper abdomen. The fire spread to the entire house."

Two off-duty firefighters arrived on scene before the engines, according to Deputy fire Chief John McInnis. Firefighters Mark Verville and Hector Santiago helped the building's residents and a number of pets to safety while they waited for firefighters to arrive. As firefighters fought the three-alarm blaze from inside, a partial ceiling collapse injured three. They were transported to Lawrence General Hospital and released. The fire was extinguished shortly after 7 a.m.

McInnis said the apartment building at 638 Haverhill St. is not a total loss, but multiple units will not be able to be occupied. The Red Cross was on scene assisting residents displaced as a result of the blaze.

Red Cross spokesperson Dawn Leaks said five adults living in three different units received money for food, clothing and a hotel stay. A family living in a fourth unit will also be unable to return to their apartment due to fire damage, but they were not on scene to receive aid from the Red Cross. Leaks said volunteers are working to make contact with those tenants.

Lt. Fleming was not able to release the name of the stabbing victim, but said she was taken to Lawrence General Hospital by ambulance, and she was "lucid and speaking" to EMTs.

Since August 2013, Lawrence police officers have been called to the address 13 times. Fleming was unable to say whether Estrella and her partner had a history of violence.

"We have been to that building to find a domestic dispute in progress before. We have been there for an array of reasons. It's a multiplex apartment in a very active area for us," he said. "I'm not sure specifically if we have ever been there for that unit or those two people before."

A bail commissioner is expected to set bail for Estrella tomorrow.

Copyright 2014 - The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!