Woman arrested for child endangerment; allegedly burned down house with children inside

A local woman was arrested on Friday on felony charges after she allegedly attempted to burn down her home with her two minor children inside following an argument with her husband.

Bridget Diane Reyes, 36, of Cones Road, was arrested at her residence shortly after 3 p.m. and charged with two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and reckless arson, both of which are punishable by up to six years in prison.

Reyes was released later that day on $7,500 bail and is scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court on August 2. Although she has no prior criminal record, she was arrested on April 29 for DUI (first offense). Her District Court trial is scheduled for September 4.

According to the probable cause affidavit for Friday’s arrest, Hot Springs police responded to a structure fire at a residence in the 1400 block of Cones Road around 2:30 p.m.

Officers made contact with Reyes, who was sitting on the porch and appeared “distraught.” A large red gas can was seen next to her and officers noted that there was a “strong smell of gasoline” on the porch and that all first responders could see fire damage to the siding next to the front door.

Officers spoke with a minor who said her mother, Reyes, was arguing with her father and was “pacing” on the porch. She said Reyes then took the gas can and began pouring gasoline on the front door.

The teen said she went outside to confront her mother and heard Reyes say she wanted to “burn the house down.” She said Reyes told her to go back inside while Reyes started a fire on the porch with a lighter. The teen went inside, grabbed her younger brother and ran to a neighbor’s house, also in the 1400 block.

Reyes was taken into custody on a felony charge and remanded to the detention center.

HSPD Detective Michael Stone arrived on the scene and spoke with the neighbor, who stated she heard “knocking and screaming noises” at her front door and when she opened it, her two teenage neighbors rushed in.

While she was on the phone with emergency services, the teens told her that their mother had “poured gas on the house” and then set it on fire after telling them to go back inside.