Neighbor sets fire to home knowing 5 young children are inside, Louisiana cops say

A Louisiana woman is facing six counts of attempted first-degree murder after she intentionally set fire to a family’s home, according to investigators.

Five children and their mom were inside at the time, the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office’s said in a Jan. 6 news release.

It happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at a home in Natchitoches, about a 180-mile drive northwest from Baton Rouge.

“A fire was discovered on the front porch but was extinguished by a responding sheriff’s deputy. A young mother and her five children, all younger than 13 including an infant, were unharmed,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies determined the fire was intentionally set and identified ... a neighbor as the suspect.”

Aladrain Daniels, 26, had come to the family’s home “several times” that day and was “acting erratically,” investigators said.

“Daniels was taken into custody on site and following an interview with investigators, she admitted her role in the fire,” investigators say.

A motive has not been released.

In addition to six counts of attempted murder, she faces one count of aggravated arson, officials said.

This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Neighbor sets fire to home knowing 5 young children are inside, Louisiana cops say."