A Belleville woman pleaded not guilty after authorities said she nearly struck a Sterling Heights firefighter while fleeing a suspected fire. Investigators are also reviewing possible links to other arsons.
Firefighters found a utility pole charred and smelling of gasoline outside the Dollar Tree at 12220 Hall Road in Sterling Heights on Oct. 1.
That scene led investigators to Kasheia Eitia Lewis-Strauss, 38, of Belleville. They are examining whether she may be linked to other fires that damaged electric infrastructure across southeast Michigan.
Lewis-Strauss was arrested Oct. 2 after Pittsfield Township police stopped her during an alleged traffic violation. She is being held in the Macomb County Jail on felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and third-degree arson.
Authorities say she nearly hit a Sterling Heights firefighter while leaving the scene. She is also suspected in fires involving utility poles in Auburn Hills and a building in Ypsilanti.
The case reaches beyond one commercial parking lot.
What happened in Sterling Heights
Firefighters went to the Dollar Tree after a report of downed utility wires. According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, a woman repeatedly walked between a silver BMW and a nearby utility pole.
The pole was later found charred. It smelled of gasoline.
When firefighters tried to contact the driver, authorities said she accelerated through the parking lot at a high rate of speed. She nearly struck one of them.
Sterling Heights police said the firefighter provided information that helped investigators identify the suspect. Police also credited Flock technology with helping locate her.
Pittsfield Township police stopped Lewis-Strauss the next day. Officers took her into custody on a warrant tied to the Sterling Heights allegations.
She appeared Oct. 5 in 41A District Court in Sterling Heights and pleaded not guilty.
Other fires under review
Sterling Heights detectives developed information that Lewis-Strauss may be connected to more arsons in southeast Michigan. Police identified utility-pole fires in Auburn Hills and a fire in Ypsilanti that destroyed an auto parts store.
The available reports do not give the date of the Ypsilanti building fire.
Esther Wolfe, communications director for the prosecutor's office, said the office did not have information about a possible motive. The Auburn Hills and Ypsilanti incidents remain investigative leads.
The available reports do not identify additional criminal charges against Lewis-Strauss in those cases.
DTE Energy said the utility-pole fires caused several power outages. Crews responded quickly.
Colleen Rosso, a DTE spokesperson, said power was restored within three hours after the latest reported fire in Ypsilanti. DTE also said it is cooperating with local and federal law enforcement agencies.
The current reports identify Sterling Heights, Auburn Hills, Ypsilanti and Pittsfield Township as the communities involved in the investigation. They do not identify Farmington, Farmington Hills or Farmington Public Schools as locations connected to the alleged fires.
Residents seeking local municipal updates can monitor the City of Farmington website. Any Oakland County administration or State of Michigan departmental registry information would be separate from the criminal case.
Investigation and court schedule
Local special agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives supported the investigation. Certified fire investigators examined the cause and origin of the utility-pole fires. They also checked whether an accelerant was used.
Tracy Morris, public information officer for the Detroit Field Division, said the federal agency was not the lead agency. She said it could not release findings on cause and origin.
At her Oct. 5 arraignment in 41A District Court, Lewis-Strauss appeared with appointed counsel. She waived the reading of the complaint and entered a not-guilty plea.
Online court records did not list an attorney by name. They showed that an order for a court-appointed attorney had been filed.
The court ordered her held on a $150,000 bond. Online jail records also indicated that a steel cuff tether was ordered before her release from the lockup.
The next court dates differ across published accounts. One schedule listed a probable-cause conference for Oct. 12. Another listed the conference for Oct. 15 and a preliminary examination for Oct. 26.
The discrepancy should be resolved through the 41A District Court docket. The available reporting does not support retaining the earlier Oct. 22 date shown in some accounts.
Under information provided by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, third-degree arson carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Assault with a dangerous weapon carries a possible sentence of up to four years.
Those are statutory maximums. They do not predict the outcome in this case.
Power and public safety risks
DTE said the fires pulled police, firefighters and lineworkers away from other emergency work. The fires also threatened service to thousands of customers.
Burning utility poles can create dangerous conditions for responders and nearby property. The risk is greater when gasoline is suspected.
The available record shows a serious public-safety problem. It does not establish a completed case against Lewis-Strauss.
The Sterling Heights charges will move through the district court process. Investigators are still examining whether the Auburn Hills and Ypsilanti fires are connected.
Suspicion is not proof.
Deliberate fires near electric infrastructure can disrupt service and put responders in immediate danger. The courts now have the next formal role in the Sterling Heights case, while fire investigators and law enforcement agencies work to establish what happened at each scene.
