Springfield, Illinois – A Springfield woman is expected to receive a summons to appear in court on December 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. after being charged with arson, a class 2 felony, by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.

According to reports we received, on October 11, 2023, Springfield Police and Fire were dispatched to the 2000 block of S. 10th St. for a garbage fire. Springfield Police spoke with the resident of the house, and she stated that she had video footage identifying the individual who started the fire.

The woman identified Alena D. Nelson, age 28, as the suspect because Nelson had previously set fire to a detached garage behind her house. The woman mentioned that, following the first fire, which occurred last year, she obtained an order of protection. Springfield officers verified the order of protection, and records indicate that Nelson was served. The order of protection is effective until August 2024.

The woman informed the police that Nelson won’t stop bothering her even after the Order of Protection was served. She mentioned that Nelson had been previously arrested for violating an order of protection. —–see if you can add this to the bottom. According to records, in June 2023, Nelson was charged with Criminal Damage to Property, a class 4 felony, and violating a stalking/no-contact order, a class A misdemeanor. The case is still ongoing.

Officers also spoke with the woman’s neighbor, who reported seeing a red Ford Utility truck going up and down the alley. The neighbor described a black female wearing a black sweatshirt with red lettering. According to him, she exited the vehicle and headed towards the back of the woman’s house. A minute later, he observed the female walking away with something white in her hand. Additionally, he noticed a fire and went to check, discovering a fire in the garbage on the South side of the house. While he was putting the fire out, the red truck returned, and the driver started yelling. He mentioned that he couldn’t make out what she was saying because he was focused on extinguishing the fire.

Officers noted that there was burned garbage and siding in the driveway. According to the resident, she estimated that the damage was approximately $1,500.

According to reports, this is the second time Nelson has been listed as a suspect in an arson investigation. Reports show that in November 2022, around 12:26 a.m., Springfield Police and Fire were called to the same address, involving the same woman, for a structure fire that was located behind the house at the garage.

Officers say when the woman arrived home from work, she was very upset, and said, “this lady is going to kill me.” The woman told police at that time that she has been going through ongoing issues with her ex-boyfriend’s other child’s mother and believed that she is the one that set her house on fire. According to records, Nelson has not been charged in this case.

Records show that, in addition to this arson case, she has other pending cases:

In November 2022, Nelson faced charges of 2 counts of violating a stalking no-contact order, but those charges were dropped.

In June 2023, Nelson was charged with Criminal Damage to Property, a class 4 felony, and violating a stalking/no-contact order, a class A misdemeanor. This case is still ongoing.

In August 2023, she was charged with criminal damage to property, and that case is still ongoing.

This month, Nelson was charged with Criminal Damage to Property for an incident that occurred on November 5, 2023. She was given a notice to appear on December 26, 2023, for that case.