Belleville Woman Charged In Arson Spree Across Detroit Area: Prosecutor

BELLEVILLE, MI — A Belleville woman is facing charges after prosecutors said she set multiple fires across metro Detroit and nearly struck a firefighter with her vehicle.

Kasheia Eitia Lewis-Strauss, 38, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) and third-degree arson in Macomb County.

She was also charged with fourth-degree arson in Oakland County.

She was placed in jail with a $150,000 bond. Her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 15.

If convicted, Lewis-Strauss faces up to 10 years in prison for the arson charge, up to five years for fourth-degree arson and up to four years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon.

Sterling Heights firefighters were called to a Dollar Tree on Hall Road for a report of downed utility wires last Thursday, according to prosecutors.

Witnesses told officials they saw a woman walking repeatedly between a silver BMW and a nearby utility pole, which was found charred and smelled of gasoline, according to prosecutors.

When firefighters approached the woman, she sped through the parking lot and nearly struck a firefighter, according to prosecutors.

Investigators identified the woman as Lewis-Strauss, who is also a suspect in a series of recent arson incidents involving utility poles in Auburn Hills, as well as a building fire in Ypsilanti, according to prosecutors.

The Auburn Hills incident also happened last Thursday when firefighters responded to a utility pole fire on North Opdyke Road, according to prosecutors.

The firefighters noticed the smell of gasoline and found burn marks near the base of the pole, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors also said witnesses told firefighters they saw a woman walking away from the burning pole before leaving the scene in a vehicle.

Officers with the Pittsfield Township Police Department arrested Lewis-Strauss after a traffic stop last Friday.

During an interview with Auburn Hills investigators, Lewis-Strauss admitted to using gasoline to set fire to the utility pole—possibly as part of a series of vandalism acts throughout the Detroit area.

"Arson and felonious assault are dangerous crimes that put lives at risk. Those who deliberately put others in harm’s way must be held accountable, and my office will pursue justice," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said.