Woman Torches House, Stabs Self With Screwdriver

December 3, 2010 at 8:50 am by Jaded  

Apple Valley, MN — According to authorities, 49-year-old Rhonda Arkley, possibly distraught over the recent death of her 22-year-old son, set fire to her home yesterday morning and repeatedly stabbed herself in the chest with a screwdriver. Police were called to Arkely’s residence at about 9:00 a.m. after receiving a report that a suicidal woman had soaked her house in gasoline and set it on fire. When officers arrived on scene, they found Arkley sitting inside her car, stabbing herself with a screwdriver. As one officer approached the vehicle, Arkley fled, leading police on a 5-6 mile chase. The pursuit ended after a spike strip was deployed. As officers approached once again, they witnessed Arkley actually pounding the screwdriver into her chest with a hammer. She was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital to be treated for burns and self-inflicted puncture wounds. Also hospitalized with burns, Arkley’s 49-year-old husband, Stuart. He was inside the home when the fire started. Police have been called to the home numerous times in the past – most recently to investigate the death of Arkley’s son who was found dead in his bedroom last month. There were no obvious signs of trauma and police are still waiting for a cause of death from the medical examiner.

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