The small village of Castelmayran, in Tarn-et-Garonne, is in shock. On Saturday, the gendarmerie arrested a 76-year-old woman suspected of deliberately starting a series of fires since the summer of 2022. The public prosecutor for Montauban, Bruno Sauvage, confirmed the facts on Monday evening in a statement.
Fire-starting devices used to start fires
Investigators were initially looking into four fires and one attempted arson recorded during the summer of 2024. During a search, they discovered several lighters in the suspect’s vehicle, as well as firelighters found at her home. These items matched exactly the method used to start the fires.
According to the prosecutor, the fires were caused by firelighters being thrown onto embankments bordering dry, open fields – ideal conditions for the fire to spread rapidly.
A partial confession and a personal motive
The woman in her seventies, who was taken into police custody, admitted to having started four recent fires. She explained that she had acted “out of frustration towards local residents”. Although her motive was personal, it had serious consequences for national security.
The investigation also established a link with nine other fires that occurred in the summer of 2022. When confronted with the evidence, the woman admitted to being responsible for eight of them, confirming the criminal line of inquiry pursued by the authorities.
An immediate court appearance
Given the seriousness of the offences, the suspect has been remanded in custody. She is due to appear in court this Tuesday on a fast-track basis to face charges of wilful destruction of another person’s property using means that endanger people, an offence punishable by severe penalties.
In this rural parish, the case has caused quite a stir: the alleged arsonist was none other than an elderly local woman with no known criminal record, whom no one would have suspected of such an act.