A Boone County jury has found a Harrison woman guilty of setting fire to a Dollar General store in 2024. Stephanie Marie Cash, 27, was convicted last week after a three-day trial. She was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections and fined $500, the minimum sentence allowed by law. Cash faced maximum potential penalties of life in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The fire occurred on September 29, 2024, at a Dollar General located on West Rush Avenue in Harrison. According to a probable cause affidavit from the Harrison Fire Department, video surveillance from the store played a critical role in the case. Investigators said the footage showed Cash on the aisle where the fire originated, staying there for about three minutes. She left the aisle approximately three minutes before the fire was discovered by a coworker.
The affidavit states that Cash had no valid reason to be on that aisle and was in violation of store policy by leaving her work area unattended. The video reportedly captured her glancing over her shoulder toward the spot where the fire started as she exited the aisle. She then ran across the store to retrieve her belongings, returned to the front registers, and waited for her coworker to finish closing procedures. During that time, Cash was seen looking repeatedly down the aisle where the fire was spreading. Before leaving for the night, she walked past the aisle, appearing to observe the fire and smoke but made no effort to notify her supervisor of the danger.
Nearly two months after the fire, Cash was arrested in connection with the blaze. The store had significant damage as a result of the fire.
Cash is being held at the Boone County Detention Center while awaiting transfer to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.