Woman accused of killing roommate after setting house on fire in La Porte has bond set at $500K

Authorities say the woman was out on bond when she allegedly killed her roommate

Sarah Leanne Flores makes first court appearance since the deadly house fire in La Port on April 22, 2024. (Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

LA PORTE, Texas – A woman accused of killing her roommate in a house fire appeared in court Thursday morning.

Sarah Leanne Flores was charged with murder and arson in the fire that resulted in the death of Connie Fortune. During the court appearance, Flores’ bond was set at $500,000.

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Shannon Davis, Flores’ defense attorney, told KPRC 2 that Flores was already out on bond for a drug case during the deadly house fire.

What happened

The fire happened Monday at 6:50 a.m. in the 300 block of S. Virginia Street.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the La Porte home. While battling the blaze, fire crews and other first responders learned that a woman was trapped inside.

They tried to rescue Fortune but were unable to get her out.

RELATED: Woman allegedly confesses to starting deadly fire at La Porte home

The La Porte Fire Marshal’s Office as well as the La Porte Police Department began an investigation into the fire.

Police said they were provided with witness information regarding a possible suspect and motive for the fire being started. This resulted in the murder charge being accepted against Flores by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Flores eventually confessed to starting the fire, according to investigators.

See more stories from La Porte here.


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