Investigation underway after woman shows up at gym claiming assault on same night her home catches fire

SUGAR LAND, Texas – Authorities are investigating a house fire and an assault scene in Fort Bend County that they said appear to be connected.

The flames broke out around 7:30 p.m. Monday at a home on Parkwater Cove Court and Sweet Hills Lane in Sugar Land, authorities said.

According to authorities, a neighbor told a husband that his wife had dropped their kids off somewhere and then went to the gym.

Sometime later, the husband started getting calls and texts from his neighbors and friends who were telling him his house was on fire, authorities said.

While the fire was working, authorities said they responded to a nearby Lifetime Fitness after receiving a call about an assault. Authorities said they arrived and found the man’s wife, who was claiming to have been assaulted, at the scene.

Authorities said the wife had to be flown from the gym to Memorial Hermann Hospital to be treated for injuries. Authorities did not disclose the nature of those injuries but said she is expected to survive.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sugar Land police say after reviewing surveillance footage at the gym and speaking to a witness, they found no evidence that the crime was committed in Sugar Land or that the woman was assaulted in Sugar Land.

It is unclear where the assault happened or how the fire started, but authorities are working to figure out if the two scenes are connected.

“There is a couple situations that involve the family and other parts of Sugar Land that (authorities) are working on with female,” said Fort Bend County Fire Marshal, Mark Flathouse. “We are trying to put pieces together and work with other agencies. We have multiple different locations, but our concern right now, from (our) perspective, is the cause of the fire, the timeline of the fire and what took place around it and inside of it.”


About the Author:

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.