(LISTEN): Arrest warrant has not been served yet on Columbia restaurant owner charged with arson

(Reporter Steve Patton and Monte Lyons at Kennett radio station KBOA contributed to this story)

While a warrant has been issued for her arrest on a felony arson charge, authorities in southeast Missouri’s Dunklin County have not arrested Columbia restaurant owner Crystal Umfress at this time.

Court documents obtained by 939 the Eagle have provided more details of the July arson. Reporter Steve Patton from Kennett radio station KBOA filed this report for us.

“According to Dunklin County prosecuting attorney Nicholas Jain, Crystal Umfress of Columbia and Kerry Raymond of Gideon are charged with second degree arson in the July fire of Lupita’s Mexican restaurant. According to a probable cause statement, a witness was identified who said Umfress met her in Cape Girardeau and gave her $1,000 to burn the business. Later another $485 was paid through cash app,” Patton reports.

The Kennett Police Department’s six-page probable cause statement says the witness also provided authorities with multiple text messages from Umfress, one allegedly telling her “you got to get this taken care of” and another asking if the witness would “promise.” Those alleged texts were set on July 9, one day before the restaurant fire.

Mr. Patton tells us that the July blaze attracted a lot of local news coverage in southeast Missouri.

“Up to a $10,000 reward had been offered for information that led to an arrest and conviction of those responsible for the arson,”, says Patton.

The Kennett Police Department’s probable cause statement quotes a witness as saying Umfress was upset at the restaurant owner because that person allegedly “ran off with her husband.”