Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow.com
A Trenton woman has been charged in connection with a Bristol Borough arson.
Arielle Gooden, 21, of Trenton, had threatened the victim before and on September 9 and 13 she carried out those threats by setting fires at 206 Buckley Street in Bristol and now she is under arrest facing a slew of arson-related offenses.
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According to the probable cause affidavit, police observed Gooden on Buckley Street video surveillance cameras just prior to both fires at the home where the victim lives with her family.
Gooden had been in a relationship that was terminated by the victim in August because of the defendant’s “controlling behavior,” court records say. After the breakup, Gooden made a habit out of driving by the victim’s home in her gray Pontiac, bearing a paper New Jersey registration on it, according to court documents.
On August 26, the victim called Bristol police to report she was being harassed by Gooden and had been threatened in the past by her, according to court records. Gooden is alleged to have told woman she knew of others that would help her harm the victim.
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As reported by LevittownNow.com on September 13, the second of the two fires set by Gordon happened. Each fire was set in the back of the home and sources reported a gas can was found with the odor of a flammable liquid present, police said.
Detective Randy Morris and Patrolman William Davis, after meeting with the victim and her mother the day after the second fire, set their sights on acquiring video images from the surveillance cameras on the corner of Buckley and Race streets, court records state.
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In reviewing those images, they observed the grey Pontiac prior to both fires traveling down Buckley Street at 3:45 a.m., which is 20 minutes prior to the second fire, Gooden allegedly set and at a little after 2 am on the night of the first fire, police say.
On September 17, the victim called police to report that Gooden has driven by her home at 1:45 p.m., which was confirmed through the cameras on Buckley Street, police said.
Police secured a court order for cell phone records which included Gooden’s text messages, mapping coordinates of towers used for communications. According to police, those records confirmed Gooden was on Buckley Street on September 13 and also show her path through Bristol Borough back on her way home to Trenton.
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Police went to Gooden’s place of employment to interview her on October 17. She reportedly told authorities she was out of the area on September 9 and was home the entire day and night of September 13, the nights police allege she started the fires at the Buckley Street residence, according to court records. She provided police with her cell phone number and told them she is its sole owner.
Gooden, after police interviewed, left her job without informing her supervisor or clocking out, police said.
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On October 31, she was arrested on charges of two counts of arson, two counts of criminal mischief and eight counts of reckless endangerment. She was sent to Bucks County Prison on 10 percent of $50,000 according to online court records and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at Bristol Borough District Court on December 11.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
