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New Iberia Woman arrested in connection with September fire at home

Posted at 2:58 PM, Feb 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-04 15:58:31-05

A New Iberia woman has been arrested for fraud in connection with a fire at her house in September.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says that  37-year-old Victoria Smith was booked into the Iberia Parish Jail on Wednesday, January 30, on one count of insurance fraud.

Victoria Smith / State Fire Marshal’s Office

In the early morning hours of September 3, 2018,  the New Iberia Fire Department responded to a house fire located in the 400 block of Texaco Street. The home was unoccupied and for sale at the time of the fire, according to officials.

After assessing the scene, investigators determined the fire was incendiary.

Through the course of the investigation, deputies learned that Smith, one of the owners of the home, allegedly filed an insurance claim for losses due to the fire. Investigators say that several items listed on the claim were determined to not have been in the home at the time of the fire.

Smith, in an interview with investigators, allegedly admitted to claiming a loss for items she knew were not in the home at the time of the fire. Smith was then arrested.

The investigation into the arson is on-going.