On the evening hours of October 26, 2024, Izard County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Caeden Wolfe was dispatched to a residence on Lakeview Road.
It was reported by a witness that Courtney Keathley and Luke Vest, along with a five-year-old female, were exiting the residence of Devan Edge. Keathley nor Vest are occupants of the residence.
When confronted by the witness, Keatley and Vest quickly got into a vehicle and fled the residence. While fleeing, they hit another vehicle that was parked in the driveway as well as a fence post. The witness then contacted Devan Edge and the Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arrival on scene by Cpl. Wolfe, he spoke with the witness on scene and Edge via phone. During Cpl. Wolfe’s investigation, he observed damage to the vehicle in the driveway and damage to numerous items in the home to include broken glass and cheese puffs littering the floor throughout the home. Cpl. Wolfe also observed a clear liquid substance that had the smell of lighter fluid on the floor and other items in the home along with an open container of lighter fluid on a table. Keathley’s cell phone was located inside the residence prior to Cpl. Wolfe’s arrival.
While Cpl. Wolfe was speaking to Devan, he said Keathley had called him and angrily stated she was going to burn down his home.
After Sheriff’s Office Investigators arrived on scene, a vehicle that was believed to belong to Keathley drove past the residence at a high rate of speed. Cpl. Wolfe and Investigator Webb gave chase, and the vehicle went to another residence on Lakeview where Luke Vest was taken into custody. Keathley was located inside the residence where she was taken into custody.
In a post Mirada interview, Keathley admitted to going into Devan’s residence, damaging items, setting the lighter fluid on the table, and fleeing with the five-year-old to avoid apprehension.
As a result, Courtney Keithley, 30 of Melbourne, and Luke Vest, 27 of Melbourne, have been formally charged with Residential Burglary, a class B felony; Criminal Attempt – Arson, a class A felony, Criminal Mischief First Degree, a class D felony, and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, a class A misdemeanor. Their bonds were set at $50,000.