A 48-year-old woman faces arson and reckless endangerment charges after a Jan. 13 fire at her father’s apartment near 22nd Street and Hampton Avenue that forced a large evacuation and sent several people to hospitals, according to a criminal complaint and local officials.
The case centers on an eviction dispute that authorities say escalated into arson inside New Hampton Gardens Apartments, a building that houses many older and disabled residents. Investigators say the woman, identified as Laquita Lashell Spears, set clothing and a couch alight with charcoal lighter fluid and a Bic lighter, then left as flames and smoke spread. Several apartments were damaged. Officials say no deaths were reported, but multiple residents suffered smoke inhalation and one was found unresponsive before being revived. Spears was booked into the Milwaukee County Jail, and a judge later set bail at $50,000 as prosecutors prepared the case for court.
Fire crews and police were called shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 13 and encountered heavy smoke inside the multi-unit complex. Residents were already streaming into the cold, some helped down stairwells while others leaned from windows for air as firefighters moved hose lines and searched apartments. According to the complaint, Spears had argued with her father earlier that day over staying at the unit and a small amount of money. Her father told investigators he watched her walk toward the door with a red lighter; moments later, he saw a coat on the couch ignite and the living room catch fire. He said he tried to smother the flames but could not. As she left, the complaint alleges, Spears shouted, “Burn … burn,” before exiting the apartment.
Officials said the blaze started inside the father’s living room and spread smoke through hallways, prompting a full building alarm. The fire department reported multiple hospital transports for smoke inhalation. Prosecutors said six units were left uninhabitable and Red Cross teams assisted displaced renters. In interviews with detectives, Spears admitted squirting “the charcoal” onto a jacket and a basket of clothes and using a lighter to ignite both, according to the complaint. The building was not equipped with sprinklers, investigators noted. Authorities said the structure is home to many elderly or mobility-impaired tenants, a factor that slowed evacuations and increased the risk to residents and responders.
Court records show Spears has two prior arson convictions in Milwaukee County, in 2015 and 2022. In the current case, prosecutors charged her with arson of a building and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Investigators say the motive remains tied to a family dispute and an order to move out; no wider threat has been identified. Police have not reported any additional suspects. Damage estimates were pending as property managers worked with contractors and insurance adjusters to assess smoke and water impacts across affected units and common areas.
The incident came during a week of heightened fire responses across the city. In a separate and unrelated case days later on the South Side, five people were injured in an apartment fire that authorities also labeled arson, and prosecutors filed charges against another resident in that matter. City officials said the cluster of incidents put attention on evacuation challenges in older buildings and on the role of working alarms, staffing and pre-plans when smoke conditions develop quickly in multi-unit structures. Fire officials said they will incorporate lessons from both events into upcoming after-action reviews.
Spears appeared in initial proceedings last week. A court commissioner ordered her to have no contact with her father if released and set the $50,000 cash bail after reviewing the complaint and her prior record. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said they will continue to review medical reports from hospitalized residents as they prepare witness lists and finalize the timeline of the fire. Investigators plan to submit additional lab work on debris collected from inside the living room and hallway.
Residents described chaotic minutes as alarms sounded and smoke filled corridors. Several said they watched firefighters help neighbors who use walkers and wheelchairs. One tenant said he saw people yelling for help from second-floor windows as crews stretched lines through the front entrance. Property staff posted notices about temporary housing and escorted residents back in small groups to retrieve medications and essential items once the building was cleared. By the next day, managers reported six units red-tagged while restoration crews set up fans and dehumidifiers in common areas and stairwells.
As of Monday, Spears remained jailed on the arson and endangerment counts. Building repairs and resident relocations were underway, with Red Cross caseworkers coordinating short-term lodging for those from the most damaged units. The next milestone is the Feb. 26 preliminary hearing, when a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.