MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities in Miami-Dade County took a woman into custody on Tuesday after she allegedly set a fire inside an assisted living facility.
The incident occurred on Tuesday around 6:20 p.m. at the Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, located at 220 Sierra Drive, just outside of Miami Gardens.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the three-story facility after receiving a report of a patient who had set her bed on fire.
When deputies arrived, they said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were working to extinguish the blaze and ventilate the hallway outside of the unit where the fire was set while patients on the third floor were evacuated.
Deputies said they then interviewed the suspect, identified as Lourdes Espinal, 55.
According to an arrest form, Espinal told investigators, “She started the fire by setting a lighter to her mattress because she was upset that she was not getting her medication on time.”
Additionally, deputies said that Espinal admitted to setting the fire while her roommate, who is bedridden and requires an oxygen mask, was also inside the room.
While speaking with Espinal’s nurse, investigators were told that after she received her afternoon medications, Espinal had requested additional medication that was not prescribed by her doctor.
When the nurse told Espinal she would reach out to her doctor to see if he would prescribe the additional medication, authorities said the nurse told them Espinal became “more furious and knocked over her tray of food” while cursing at the nurse, who then contacted a supervisor.
According to Espinal’s arrest form, she then attempted to light a cigarette in her room, at which time the supervisor informed her that was not permitted inside the facility and removed the cigarette from Espinal’s mouth, prompting her to throw her lighter at the supervisor while yelling, “I’m gonna burn the place out, (too) many bad b-----s, they have to keep they a-- out.”
Shortly after, facility staff said Espinal exited her room and said, “I put fire in the room, y’all better take out the resident,” prompting staff to run into the room and immediately disconnect Espinal’s roommate from her oxygen tank and wheel her out of the room.
Espinal was taken into custody and is facing charges of attempted murder, first-degree arson and battery.
As of Wednesday afternoon, she remained behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
