Woman who set fire to Ecuador’s embassy in San José sentenced to 5 years

August 23^rd, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) The Criminal Court of Pavas sentenced yesterday the woman accused of setting fire to Ecuador’s embassy in San José to five years in prison.

The 43-year-old woman, identified by the last names Solano Bustos, was also ordered to pay ¢ 24.1 million ($48,000) in damages.  The arson took place on November 21st, 2012.

The woman had been working as a secretary for the consulate for 4 years, and it seems that her motive for causing the fire was related to several disputes that the woman had with her coworkers.

According to the investigation, on the day of the fire the woman arrived at the embassy around 5:00am, supposedly to exercise, despite the fact that her shift did not begin until 8:00am.

Shortly thereafter, the woman apparently called her boss to report that she had heard footsteps on the second floor of the building.  She then left the building wearing sport clothing, supposedly to go for a jog.  Three minutes later, firefighters received a called from a nearby resident alerting them to the fire.

After the fire, agents found newspaper scattered in several offices, especially next to doors, as well as a strong smell of gasoline.

The court did not accept arguments from her defense attorney that she suffered from mental problems caused by problems with her bosses.

No one was injured in the blaze.