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Woman charged in south county arson slowed down firefighters, police say

Police said she stood in the roadway to delay firefighters from putting out the fire

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A St. Louis County woman was charged with arson after police said she intentionally lit a fire in her condo and stood in the road to delay firefighters responding to the scene.

Fatima Sljivar was charged with arson and animal abuse for the fire that burned two condos, damaged two others and killed her cat Wednesday night.

According to charging documents, Sljivar admitted to lighting a piece of paper on fire inside the condo on the 6900 block of Colonial Woods Drive, resulting in what she called a "show."

While the fire burned, neighbors in the eight-family condo building had to jump to safety from their second-story windows.

When the fire department arrived, they were slowed by Sljivar, who was standing in the middle of the road. Firefighters said they were delayed from getting close enough to the building to start putting out the fire.

Charging documents said Sljivar had a cat inside the condo but told police that it would be better off dying in the fire.

Detectives from the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit are leading the investigation.

She is being held on a $100,000, cash-only bond.

Resources for crime victims:

If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.

  • Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program. To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
  • Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.” To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
  • The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth. To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
  • Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/

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