Woman charged with trying to burn down ex's store

A Taylorsville woman is charged with trying to burn down her ex-boyfriend's Salt Lake City store.

Prosecutors charged the 36-year-old woman in 3rd District Court on Tuesday with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony.

On Saturday, a man at an East Central-neighborhood barber shop smelled smoke and followed the scent to a back hallway, where the shop shares a rear exit with a tailoring business. Once there, he saw smoke coming out from under the door of a neighboring store, according to the charges.

Someone at the barber shop grabbed an extinguisher and put out the fire, which did about $2,000 in damage, said Salt Lake City Fire spokesman Jasen Asay.

A Salt Lake City fire investigator concluded that someone had intentionally set the fire with ignitable liquid and a handheld open flame, according to the charges.

The woman said that she was angry after breaking-up with the tailoring business' owner and that she poured some gas from a gas can and lit the fuel with a lighter, the charges add.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda