An unhoused woman, Samantha Lee, 41, has been charged with arson in connection to a fire at a commercial storage warehouse in Albuquerque. The incident took place on October 14, 2024, at a facility used by the Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Querque Hotel on Menaul Blvd NE.
Lee faces one count of arson and will remain in custody until her trial, which is scheduled for February 10, 2026. If convicted, she could receive a prison sentence ranging from five to twenty years.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Shawn Stallo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the charges. The ATF led the investigation with support from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.
"If you have any information relating to this matter or other crimes committed by Lee, please contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or ATFTips@atf.gov."
Authorities remind the public that an indictment is only an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
