Kristina Boffing Sell, 53, Greenfield
HANCOCK COUNTY — A Greenfield woman has been arrested and charged with arson and animal cruelty after officials say she was the cause of several fires last September in the 2000 block of W. Lake Drive.
One of the fires killed three dogs and seven puppies, officials who investigated the incidents said.
Kristina Boffing Sell, 53, 2000 block of W. Lake Drive, has been charged with four different counts of Level 4 arson from incidents on Sept. 22 and 23 of 2023. Sell is also facing a Level 6 felony count of animal cruelty.
The charges were officially filed in Hancock County Superior Court 1, Jan. 23, according to court records. Sell had her initial appearance in Superior Court 1 Thursday morning, where the judge set a $8,000 cash bond. She is due back in court for a hearing Wednesday, February 7.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by fire marshal Andy Neumeister with Sugar Creek Township Fire Department (SCTFD), officials from SCTFD responded to a shed fire Sept. 15, 2023. The fire was quickly extinguished by fire personnel and caused minor damage to the structure, officials said.
Sell, officials noted in the report, was the only occupant home and refused to authorize fire personnel to conduct a thorough fire investigation, the affidavit said. While fire personnel extinguished the fire, they found the fire started on the exterior of the shed and a lighter was located on the ground at the point of origin of the fire, Neumeister said.
The affidavit noted, at the time, Sell informed fire personnel she didn’t care about finding out who started the fire because she didn’t want it to interfere with selling her house.
Kristina Sell’s husband at the time told officials he was not home on the day of the shed fire and he had recently secured some of his belongings in the shed so wife didn’t have access to his stuff.
The husband, officials noted in the report, told officials that, within days of the shed fire, his wife had told him, “It’s not illegal to set your own shed on fire.” The husband also told officials within a week of the shed fire he had partially moved out of the residence until his wife was able to move out and they could follow through with a divorce.
According to the affidavit, on Sept. 22, 2023, officials from SCTFD responded again to the address where crews extinguished a room and contents fire which caused moderate smoke damage to the residence. While conducting a search of the residence, firefighters located three deceased adult dogs and eight puppies (seven deceased) in a bedroom outside the laundry room.
The report states the husband told officials he was inside the residence on Sept. 21, 2023, the night prior to the fire that killed the dogs, and all 11 dogs were alive. Sell told officials the dogs were alive when she left the residence on Sept. 22, 2023, which was within minutes of the fire being reported. Officials concluded it is probable the dogs died from smoke inhalation as a result of the fire in the laundry room. It was estimated the fire caused $35,000 in damage to the structure of the residence.
Officials noted, after a thorough fire investigation, fire marshal Neumeister was able to conclude the origin of the fire was in the laundry room. In the area of origin, all natural and accidental causes were eliminated as possible causes for the fire, the affidavit said.
“This fire was determined to be Incendiary, an act of Arson,” Neumeister wrote in the report.
The report summary noted that Sell was observed leaving the residence four to five minutes prior to the 911 call reporting the house was on fire; had made threats to her husband about “burning” their house down to collect the insurance money so she could move to Arkansas; she was observed driving in the area of her residence after the fire was extinguished but did not stop; and after the fire on Sept. 22, 2023, the husband found his name had been taken off the hazard insurance for the residence.
On Sept. 23, 2023, officials with SCTFD were dispatched again to the residence in the 2000 block of W. Lake Drive for yet another reported residence fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found the interior and exterior rear of the residence was fully involved in fire. Prior to firefighters extinguishing the fire, the residence sustained catastrophic damage and was then considered a complete loss.
It is estimated this fire caused an additional $100,000 in damage to the structure of the residence in addition to some $30,000 in damages to the contents. Neumeister stated in the report that after a thorough fire investigation, he was able to conclude the origin of the fire was on the exterior of the residence, from the back deck to the gas meter/AC unit at ground level.
In the area of origin, all natural and accidental causes were eliminated as possible causes for the fire, the report stated.
“This fire was determined to be incendiary, an act of arson,” Neumeister said.
