Kalispell woman denies felony arson charge

Wendy Jane Concha, 34, pleaded not guilty to felony arson in Flathead District Court on Sept. 7, accused of setting a neighbor’s house on fire.

According to court documents, residents of Hoffman Draw in Kalispell reported a neighbor’s trailer home on fire at 1:08 a.m. Aug. 12. A man allegedly told law enforcement he could see a woman smashing windows of a vehicle and screaming that she “hoped the residence would burn.”

The house was engulfed in flames by the time a Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived at the location. The officer saw Concha, of Kalispell, standing nearby and approached her to determine if anyone else was possibly still in the home, court documents state. She reportedly was evasive and walked away from the deputy, appearing intoxicated. The deputy detained Concha and reported smelling a flammable liquid emanating from wet spots on her shirt.

Concha allegedly admitted to purposely setting the trailer home on fire after becoming angry with the homeowner.

The deputy learned Concha was on probation and was advised by a probation officer to search her belongings. The deputy found a white pill in an unmarked pill bottle and preliminarily identified it as acetaminophen/hydrocodone.

The pill was sent to Montana State Crime Lab to be analyzed.

A jury trial is set for Feb. 26, 2018.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.