Police arrest woman accused of Garland arson, attempted murder

A woman accused of setting a Garland Neighborhood apartment building on fire, seriously injuring a woman, endangering others and killing multiple pets, was arrested Friday.

Jennifer Barden, 36, was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree arson and six counts of first-degree assault, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.

Members of Spokane police’s Special Investigative Unit, Violent Crimes Task Force and SWAT surrounded a home Friday on the 3000 block of North Nelson Street after receiving a tip from a community member about Barden’s whereabouts.

Barden surrendered when police arrived at the home.

Spokane police and fire crews responded to the blaze the morning of March 23 at 3910 N. Wall St., one-half block north of Garland Avenue, police said. Firefighters rescued a woman trapped inside the home. She was taken to the hospital.

Heather Hall, a resident of the five-unit apartment building, said smoke destroyed her family’s belongings, and everyone in the building was displaced by the fire.

Hall said she rescued her 3-month-old son from their apartment while her fiancé tried putting the fire out and knocked on doors to try to get everybody out.

Barden was listed Friday night in the Spokane County Jail on a $500,000 bond.