ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis woman has been accused of arson for allegedly setting fires at the Marriott St. Louis Airport Hotel after being terminated for workplace intoxication in December 2022.
State's Attorney for Eastern Missouri Sayler Fleming said in a press release that 25-year-old Ramona Cook was arrested and charged with arson on May 10. She pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
Note: The video above is from December 2022.
According to the indictment, Cook "maliciously damaged by means of fire" the hotel located at 10700 Pear Tree Drive in St. Louis on Dec. 22.
Cook was fired that day for being intoxicated at work, according to a motion to hold Cook in jail until trial. After being escorted out of the hotel by police, she allegedly returned to the hotel and set several fires inside the building.
Multiple fire departments responded to six fires set inside, including the Pattonville and Community Fire Protection District arrived to help. In addition, St. Ann, Ferguson, and Edmundson Police departments responded. The Crime Scene Unit arrived to help.
This incident resulted in the immediate evacuation of hotel guests, who were displaced from more than 400 rooms.
The fires were put out and there were no reported injuries.
The Pattonville Fire Protection District said at the time of the incident that there was smoke throughout several floors because the staircase doors were propped open.
A court hearing is scheduled for Friday, where a decision on the motion to hold Cook in jail until trial will be made. Her arson charge carries a penalty of five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both for arson.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) handled the investigation.