A Baxter County woman, 38 year old TIFFANIE LEOLA VAZQUEZ, formerly TIFFANIE CORTEZ, has been arrested on charges of arson and attempted murder following an investigation into a house fire that occurred in early 2023 in the Gamaliel area.
On January 30, 2023, fire departments were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 4333 Hwy 101 N. in the Gamaliel area. The house was occupied by three adults and one juvenile. One of the adults was disabled. The occupants were able to escape from the burning house. The fire began in the carport or porch area of the residence. The house and two vehicles were total losses, and another vehicle was damaged. The fire was listed as suspicious. The total loss was valued at approximately $110,000.
On January 25, 2024, a man reported to the Sheriff’s Office that he was approached by TIFFANIE VAZQUEZ, someone he knew, at a business in Gamaliel. During a conversation between the two of them, VAZQUEZ told the man that she had paid someone $500 to burn down the house because one of the persons who lived there was stealing from her and the people she stayed with and never paid her back. When the man asked VAZQUEZ why she would be telling him that, she told him that the case and investigation were closed. The man then gave VAZQUEZ a ride to a different location. During this journey, another person who was present activated his phone to record a video of VAZQUEZ. During this recorded conversation, VAZQUEZ again stated she had paid someone $500 to burn down the house and further stated she was in Little Rock the night of the fire. VAZQUEZ further stated she received a call afterwards telling her that her problem had been taken care of. She also offered additional information and details, including doing so by text messaging.
The information from the investigation was presented to the Prosecuting Attorney, who filed charges against TIFFANIE LEOLA VAZQUEZ. A warrant for her arrest was issued by the Baxter County Circuit Court on March 1, 2024. Officers from several agencies then began searching for VAZQUEZ. She was located this afternoon, March 5th, at a residence on Fout Road in Gamaliel and taken into custody without incident. TIFFANIE VAZQUEZ has been booked into the Baxter County Detention Center on charges of:
Arson – Felony
Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder in the First Degree (4 counts) – Felonies
Habitual Offender – Penalty Enhancement
VAZQUEZ is being held in lieu of $250,000 bond and will appear before the Baxter County Circuit Court to answer on April 1, 2024. She has at least 13 prior jail bookings in Baxter County on various charges.
The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Agencies participating in the investigation, tracking, and arrest were the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas Community Corrections Special Response Team, 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police, and the U. S. Marshal Service.
