Woman, “tired of looking at it,” burns down city building in Carter Co.

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Posted: 5:28 PM Feb 21, 2008
Last Updated: 5:28 PM Feb 21, 2008
Reporter: Teddy Safo
Email Address: teddy.safo@kxii.com

33 comments

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TATUMS, Okla. -- A Carter County woman is in jail facing arson charges after authorities say she burned a city building. While the arson charges are serious, authorities say her reasoning behind the crime is rather strange. Teddy Safo has the story.

Authorities arrested 27-year old Jernee Hooks Wednesday afternoon after she used her mother’s newspaper to torch a building in Tatums.

Authorities tell us that Hooks was visiting her mother Wednesday afternoon. Deputies say Hooks asked her mother if she had finished reading the local newspaper. That was when deputies say Hooks took her mothers newspaper, lit it on fire, and used it to torch an old wooden building belonging to the City of Tatums.

Hooks’ motive for her actions is where it gets bizarre.

“After interviewing the suspect she had stated to the effect she was tired of looking at the old building. Yes, strange...so the deputy arrested her for second degree arson," Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace said.

Tatums is located in northwest Carter County, near Ratliff City.

No one was hurt in the fire. Hooks is facing second degree arson charges.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: dana Location: close enough on Mar 10, 2008 at 05:32 PM
I know this girl and I know this town and she is only helping everyone out. They want to charge her for this crime and not pay to clean this town up. This town has gone down hill. It needs some TLC and one raggidy building is not hurting nothing.

Posted by: bos Location: fox area on Feb 25, 2008 at 02:50 PM
You all want to condone this lady but in fact i think that she did not only the city or county a favor..but it was something that needed to be done..im sure that she at least look to see if there was anyone in there before doing it..If you are not from that area or that community you have no idea what kind of shape that building was in..but she did them a favor. her charges according to carter county's sheriff's department are 2nd degree Arson..

Posted by: gracie` Location: madill on Feb 25, 2008 at 01:25 PM
sounds like a lot of places could use some fixing up. That is what the city council is for. Citizens need to let them know then they need to do their job.

Posted by: Jimbo Location: Ardmore on Feb 25, 2008 at 11:55 AM
If her building looked like this one did the city would make her tear it down or they wiould give her a ticket. They should pay her for taking it down - not charge her with arson.

Posted by: Sue Location: OK on Feb 25, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Who's crying, John? And, yes, opinionated, if there were transients in the building, they should be locked up. They broke the law. But I doubt they'd have been charged with much. When we quit following the law, everyone can do what they want. Sound fun? Good! I want your car (lol) and your house, your stereo, computer and all your money... What I'm saying is, you just don't burn something down because you don't like it and it's old. You contact the city, complain about it. Yes, there's tons of old buildings that need to be torn down and sometimes they just don't get torn down. But they DON'T need to be burned down by an arsonist, who just might have burned down other buildings near it by accident, including her own mother's house, or gotten someone killed. Haven't you ever seen a fire get out of control? Ask the local firemen what they think about ordinary citizens burning down derelict buildings without supervision.

Posted by: Opinionated Location: Ardmore on Feb 25, 2008 at 07:09 AM
Sue, I'm not saying she did right. And yes, there could have been transients sleeping in there. And they would have been breaking the law too. Should they be locked up as well? But the fact remains, she did the town and county a service and saved them lots of money. And as I previously stated, she could have went about having it removed in another way. opinion8ed?? Do you like my name that much? LOL!!

Posted by: john Location: denison on Feb 25, 2008 at 06:56 AM
Sue cry us a river, this women just did what we all want to do sometimes. she took a old junky building that was no good, falling in on it's self and she took care of it. And if i had a building that bad it should be delt with.

Posted by: Bill Location: Healdton on Feb 24, 2008 at 08:36 PM
It is unfortunate that this has led to the lady's arrest. But arson, no matter what is illegal. I do believe that lieniency should be given in this particular case. Perhaps probation. It's in the judicial system's hands.

Posted by: Republican in Ardmore Location: Ardmore on Feb 23, 2008 at 10:21 PM
This woman is real smart. She should be Obama's running mate if he wins the nomination!

Posted by: Sue Location: OK on Feb 23, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Why does everyone think this is funny? What if she decided she didn't like the building you own or live in? Well sure, let's just all go out and burn down anything we're tired of looking at. I think most Walmarts are ugly and so are a lot of the new houses that are built. But I don't go out and burn them down. What if a homeless person had been living in it or some children had been playing in it. She's an idiot and she deserves to be in jail.

Posted by: bos Location: fox area on Feb 23, 2008 at 05:40 PM
i think that she done the city of tatums a favor.this should have been done a long time ago.it was a eyesore to the community but a place that the vandals hung out at..thanks for a job well done

Posted by: opinion8ed Location: on Texoma on Feb 23, 2008 at 05:26 PM
LOL, That is HILARIOUS!!!There's a few places in our neighborhood that could use torching too! IF she bonds out, send her to Rocky Point!

Posted by: Butch "Dubya" Hickson Location: The Stix on Feb 23, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Good ole' Hillbillie Town She needs to go to alot of the hillbillie towns in the area.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: sherman on Feb 23, 2008 at 09:35 AM
sees like everyone is for / ok in what she did therefore she shouldn't be charged...

Posted by: ann Location: madill on Feb 23, 2008 at 01:10 AM
maybe the city of madill should try to hire her so that she could clean up the nasty mess at highway 377 and 70. talk about an eyesore. i can't believe that this town allowes such a mess to continue. but then look who's running the town. it makes me sick to come to madill and have to look at this mess. and it's not just that mess it's the whole town that looks like a major landfill. maybe when highway 70 comes thru they will doze that mess in with the whole town. you would think that the city manager would have a little pride about the town since the FAMOUS NATIONAL SANDBASS FESTIVAL is held here. and then the chamber of commerce wonders why no one wants to be a memer of a sewer pit.

Posted by: Me Location: Madill on Feb 22, 2008 at 03:28 PM
She can come burn our Junk Yard here in Madill! We got plenty of them to keep her busy!~~~

Posted by: HAHA Location: Sherman on Feb 22, 2008 at 02:49 PM
I'd be willing to bail her out a time or two or three if she'd move to Sherman!

Posted by: Resident Location: Tish on Feb 22, 2008 at 02:18 PM
When she gets out of jail, please let her out in our town.

Posted by: amused on Feb 22, 2008 at 10:35 AM
thats too funny, went about it the wrong way but too funny

Posted by: Opinionated Location: Ardmore on Feb 22, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Perhaps there should be some kind of tax incentive plan for people that do volunteer community service like this. She did save the city and county a lot of money. Granted, she went about it the wrong way. Maybe she didn't know it belonged to the city.

Posted by: Gordonville Location: Gordonville on Feb 22, 2008 at 09:53 AM
Maybe she would like to come visit Sherwood Shores.

Posted by: Cindy Location: Area on Feb 22, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Where was this gal, we we were needing to tear down the old DHS? She could have saved us some money!

Posted by: stonedcrow Location: sherman on Feb 22, 2008 at 09:03 AM
Can you tell her about the old grain elevators, I'm tired of looking at them too.

Posted by: bub Location: Sherman on Feb 22, 2008 at 08:30 AM
I'm tired of looking at my office! You gave me an idea...

Posted by: Mork Location: Ork on Feb 22, 2008 at 06:40 AM
This is funny - Maybe they should send her to Madill or Calera. That would keep her busy for a long while. LOL!

Posted by: paula Location: ardmore on Feb 22, 2008 at 12:37 AM
at least she was honest about her actions, maybe she was afraid that a fire might break out and burn her mothers house or if vandels decided to burn the old building. why didn't the city clean up the mess to start with. maybe she should go to work for some other towns and clean up some of their messes. has she bonded out of jail and does she have a lawyer.

Posted by: Till Location: La Grange on Feb 21, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Well, she WAS tired of looking at it. Who are we to say it shouldn't have been burned?

Posted by: C Location: Sherman on Feb 21, 2008 at 10:16 PM
LOL, that is hilarious !!!! I agree, probably did need to be burned down. I know some more "eyesores" that could use a zippo taken to them!

Posted by: bob Location: denison on Feb 21, 2008 at 08:49 PM
Man she don't need to come to denison she would burn down half the town

Posted by: Ralph Location: Denison on Feb 21, 2008 at 06:20 PM
In a time when we always seem to hear complex excuses or reasons for all sorts of behavior, this one is by far the most real and honest I have heard. She just got tired of looking at it. Ya gotta love it.

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 21, 2008 at 06:18 PM
building was probably an eye sore.some old fart probably wanted to keep it for the memeories

Posted by: ArsonistSide Location: OKie!!!! GO OU!!!!!! on Feb 21, 2008 at 06:02 PM
It probably needed to be burned down. She just saved the city some demolition expenses.

Posted by: JC Location: Denison on Feb 21, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Now thats funny

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