Woman Set Friends House on Fire Because She was DeFriended on FaceBook
'Angry': Jennifer Harris has been charged with first-degree arson
A woman tried to burn down the house of a long-time friend who defriended her on Facebook, police say.
Jennifer Christine Harris, 30, of Des Moines, Iowa, has been charged with first-degree arson and is being held in the Polk County Jail.
Harris allegedly tried to torch the home of old friend Nikki Rasmussen while Nikki and her husband Jim were sleeping.
The fire broke out in a detached garage at 1am on October 27 at the Rasmussens' home, officials said.
The police report says the fire caused a popping sound which was followed by a 'boom.'
The couple were woken up by sound and they managed to escape as the siding on their house started melting from the heat of the fire in the garage.
The roof of the garage collapsed on the cars parked inside and other items stored there were ruined.
No one was injured in the blaze, but the garage was destroyed.
When police asked Jim Rasmussen if anyone had a grudge against them he gave them the name Jennifer 'Jen' Harris, desmoinesregister.com reports.
Target for a torching: The Rasmussens' home in Des Moines, Iowa
He told officers: 'The two are no longer friends due to a dispute over Facebook.
'According to Nikki, Jen is angry with her because she ended their friendship on Facebook.'
Police Detective Jack Kamerick said the dispute involved 'Facebook issues and kept building and building and text messages that were sent.'
He said: 'Things were posted on Facebook. Jen asked Nikki to create an event on Facebook for a party. Nikki did that.
'As the date for the party approached there were a lot of "declines" on Facebook.'
Where friendships are born and die: Nikki Rasmussen said she defriended and blocked Jennifer Harris after insulting posts on Facebook
Nikki Rasmussen told desmoinesregister.com that her relationship with Harris ended when Harris 'said horrible things about me on Facebook.'
She said: 'I unfriended her and blocked her so I couldn’t see what she was saying.
'But we have mutual friends who could see it.'
Their relationship started falling apart when they tried to put together a birthday party for Harris, she said.
'But there just wasn’t enough time,' she added.
Mrs Rasmussen said Harris was maid of honour at her wedding.
Harris, who is being held on a $100,000 bond, works as a teacher’s associate at Smouse Elementary School in Des Moines.
A spokesman for the school district said that she was placed on unpaid leave on Tuesday
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