October 05, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Iesha Jernigan, 36, allegedly set two fires in an alley in East Mount Airy in September. One of the blazes was near the rear entrance of a daycare, authorities said. Jernigan is charged with arson and related offenses.
A woman who allegedly started two fires in an East Mount Airy alley last month, including one at the rear entrance of a daycare, was identified Monday following her arrest late last week, police said.
Iesha Jernigan, 36, was taken into custody Thursday after an investigation into the separate fires on the 8200 block of Williams Avenue. One incident was caught on surveillance video and a second was reported to police by a witness.
The first fire was set around 7 p.m. on Sept. 21. Jernigan allegedly was seen on video igniting a can at the back door to a home daycare in an alley that separates residences. In the video, a masked woman in a red shirt is seen pouring an accelerant onto the flames. Firefighters responded to the scene and contained the fire before it spread.
The daycare was closed at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
Police said Jernigan returned to the same alley around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 and started another fire. A witness told investigators she saw a woman throw a burning bottle at a parking bollard a short distance from the door to the daycare. Firefighters again extinguished the flames before the fire spread.
During the investigation, neighbors told FOX29 both incidents appeared to be connected to the same woman and that they had never seen her in the area prior to the fires.
Police have not revealed a suspected motive for the fires.
Jernigan is charged with arson and related offenses, including recklessly endangering another person and failure to prevent a catastrophe. The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Northwest Detective Devision.
