Cartersville Woman Who Set Apartments On Fire Gets Prison Time

CARTERSVILLE, GA - A Cartersville woman who pleaded guilty to three counts of arson was sentenced to 10 years in prison this week in Bartow Superior Court.

Dorothy Denise Clark, 47, set three properties on fire in May 2016.

The first incident occurred at The Oasis Apartments off Tennessee Street, where Clark set her own unit ablaze. While out on bond, Clark returned to the complex and set another unit on fire, according to the Cartersville Daily Tribune News.

In addition to the arson charges, Clark also entered guilty pleas to multiple counts of drug possession, shoplifting, obstruction, burglary and forgery among others.

Cherokee Judicial Circuit Judge D. Scott Smith said the defendant faced a maximum possible sentence of 104 years in prison for the combined charges. She will be on probation for 30 years after serving prison time for the arson charges. The restitution is in the thousands of dollars.

“This court cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that there have been at least 10 separate incidents here in which you have broken the law in this county,” Smith said, according to the Cartersville Daily Tribune News.

“There is absolutely no excuse for this, and I can’t sit here and be concerned about so much of what I can do to fix you, at this point, I have to be concerned with protecting everyone in this county from you.”

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