A Minnesota woman is facing serious charges after allegedly setting an apartment building on fire during a heated argument with her ex-boyfriend, leading to the tragic deaths of two innocent residents.
The fire broke out around 9:40 p.m. on August 13 at an apartment complex in the 1500 block of 11th Avenue in Minneapolis. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were already shooting through the roof. With smoke and fire spreading fast, they had to use 40-foot ladders to rescue two people trapped in their fourth-floor apartments. Both victims suffered burns and were rushed to the hospital.
Once the fire was under control, crews searched the building but initially didn’t find anyone else inside. However, the property manager, David Hollmon, later realized one of his tenants was missing.
“I went to the fire department and told them, ‘Hey, I think one of my tenants is still in there,’” Hollmon said.
Sure enough, when firefighters went back, they found the bodies of 66-year-old Kerry Sims and 59-year-old Debbie Leshelle Allen buried under collapsed roof debris. The medical examiner later confirmed they had died from smoke inhalation.
Investigators quickly determined that the fire was no accident. It had been set in two different spots on the second floor—one near apartment 203, where a pair of pink Rollerblades and a bicycle were found, and another near the stairwell close to a carpeted area. Flames spread rapidly, climbing up the walls all the way to the top floor.
Detectives interviewed the man living in apartment 203, who said he had been in an argument with his ex-girlfriend, 35-year-old Deonna Marie Presbury, just before the fire started. She had been yelling at him from the hallway, demanding some of her belongings, including the Rollerblades and bike.
A woman inside the apartment recalled hearing Presbury shouting, “I’m gonna burn this motherf—er down … you got me messed up … I’m gonna kill this motherf—er.” A neighbor also reported hearing similar threats before smelling smoke moments later.
While speaking with the police, the ex-boyfriend called Presbury and put the phone on speaker. When he suggested she was responsible, she reportedly replied, “Love will f— you up anytime.”
Surveillance cameras inside the building captured Presbury leaving with a bag of clothes. As she walked outside, she was seen wearing a blue rubber glove and smoking a cigarette. Shortly after, 911 calls about the fire started coming in.
Detectives later discovered this wasn’t the first time she had set something on fire. She had allegedly burned some of her ex-boyfriend’s belongings before and was known to carry a torch lighter—possibly the same device used to start the apartment fire. When questioned by police, she denied any involvement, claiming she wasn’t anywhere near the building and only found out about the fire through the news.
Presbury was arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Jail on a $1 million bond. She now faces two counts of second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree arson. Her next court hearing is scheduled for February 26.
