One of the women who accused failed Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct lost all of her possessions when her Gadsden home burned down Tuesday, in a blaze that is currently under investigation by the Etowah County Arson Task Force.
Tina Johnson, who came forward in mid November with accusations that Moore groped her in his office in 1991, told Al.com that, although none of her family members were harmed, the fire claimed all of their possessions.
“I am devastated, just devastated,” Johnson told the newspaper. “We have just the clothes on our backs.”
Etowah County authorities have questioned one person of interest but no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
“That fire is still under investigation by the Etowah County Arson Task Force,” said Natalie Barton, public information officer with the Etowah County Sheriff’s Department. “A suspect of interest is being spoken to. But there have been no charges, to my knowledge, related to the fire at this time.”
Several of Johnson’s neighbors noticed a young man with a reputation for public intoxication and misbehavior loitering around the property Tuesday morning.
“He’s been trouble in the neighborhood for a while,” said neighbor Kevin Tallant, who received a call from another neighbor informing him that smoke was emanating from Johnson’s house.
“I threw on my coveralls and took off down the driveway,” he said. “I got up there,” he said, “and (the fire) was already pretty well started. When the fire department got there, I started helping them.”
Another female neighbor told Johnson that the young man in question approached her as she was leaving her home that morning and asked if she thought the house was going to burn down. The unnamed neighbor was unsure of what the young man was referring to.
Johnson, who was heading to Walmart Friday morning to pick up essentials, is sheltering in a motel with her family.
“My neighbors are just heartbroken, too,” she said. “They’re pulling together and helping us out.”
(Courtesy Daily Caller/Jack Crowe)
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
