A woman was arrested in connection with a deadly fire that broke out in an apartment complex in Fort Worth on Christmas Eve.
A joint investigation into the deadly blaze led to Fort Worth’s police and fire departments identifying 35-year-old Kristen Lewis as the suspect. Lewis was taken into custody on capital murder and arson charges on January 4. Her bond was set at $1 million.
As previously covered by The Dallas Express, the fire broke out at the Tides of Meadowbrook Apartments on King George Drive just before 8 p.m. on December 24. Firefighters characterized it as a 3-alarm fire. Approximately 16 apartments sustained damage, and 25 people were left without homes to return to.
Despite firefighters pulling them to safety, 47-year-old Dwight Durham and 28-year-old Galisha Gaston both died at a nearby hospital of medical complications resulting from the blaze.
“He was a fun, full of life kind of guy,” said Deshanna Dukes of the male victim, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
“My daughter is very devastated about this,” Dukes said of one of the three children she had with Durham, who reportedly was a father of five. “She’s very heartbroken. She doesn’t understand why. She doesn’t understand that he’s not coming back.”
Experiencing homelessness at the time of his death, Durham had been living inside a vacant apartment at the Tides of Meadowbrook with four other individuals — including the suspect. Lewis allegedly started the fire intentionally after an argument with the others.
“She didn’t tell anybody that she did that, and she kind of escaped and got out of it,” said Craig Trojacek, the public information officer for the Fort Worth Fire Department, according to Fox 4.
North Texas firefighters had a busy start to the new year, with four fires occurring in a single day, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. A historic home in Fort Worth, an apartment in Grand Prairie, and two houses in Dallas were damaged by flames in separate incidents on January 2.
Fort Worth Fire Chief James Davis warned anyone thinking about intentionally setting buildings ablaze that they would be brought to justice.
“Arson is a crime of opportunity that is frequently used for threats and intimidation,” said Davis, according to WFAA. “In Fort Worth, if you use fire as a weapon, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
If found guilty of capital murder, Lewis could face the death penalty.
In Dallas, the 15% bump recorded in the murder rate last year has continued its upward trend in 2024, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. Six homicides have been logged in the space of just one week.
The Dallas Police Department has endeavored to fight violent crime through a data-driven approach targeting crime hot spots, however, a longstanding police officer shortage has hampered its efforts. DPD fields only around 3,000 officers despite a City report recommending a force of about 4,000.
The effects of the officer deficit can be seen in Downtown Dallas. The neighborhood regularly logs significantly more criminal offenses — from drug crimes to auto theft — compared to Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards.