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Woman arrested in assault after house burns

A Spring Hill resident is accused of attacking her brotherthe day after the fire.

By JENNIFER LIBERTO
Published March 8, 2005

SPRING HILL - A 36-year-old woman whose Spring Hill home burned on Saturday was arrested a day later, accused of attacking her brother who had taken her shopping for new clothes.

Liza Marie Montague, whose house at 4195 Montano Ave. was gutted by a fire Saturday, was being held at the Hernando County Jail on Monday afternoon without bail, because she had violated her probation, according to Hernando County Jail booking.

Montague was charged with domestic battery after she allegedly scratched her brother Joseph Arthur Montague Jr., 40, who had been helping her and her 4-year-old son after the fire left them homeless, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

It all started early Saturday morning. Montague told authorities that she had just gotten off work and had a few drinks with a friend who dropped her off at her house after midnight Saturday morning.

She said she was alone in the house and had just fallen asleep when the smell of smoke and the sound of breaking glass woke her up, according to sheriff's reports.

The fire destroyed the $60,000 three-bedroom house, which smelled of smoke and burned wood late Saturday morning. Only the charred walls and part of a collapsed roof remained.

A Division of State Fire Marshal detective from Tampa has been investigating the cause of the blaze. Nobody was hurt.

Montague had told a neighbor that she had canceled her homeowners insurance policy, reports state.

On Sunday, her oldest brother, Joseph Montague Jr., took his newly homeless sister and her son shopping for clothes, since the fire had consumed her wardrobe, reports said.

Later that day, Montague argued with Joseph Montague at his house, at 4506 Sugarfoot Drive, reports said. She dropped her son on the floor and scratched and kicked Joseph's face, he told deputies. Investigators noted that Joseph's face had bleeding scratch marks and his glasses were broken.

Joseph Montague told deputies that his sister had set her own house on fire, reports said.

She gave a different version of what happened, however. She told deputies that her brother had punched her and given her a black eye, reports said. Authorities did not notice a black eye, reports said.

Montague was arrested and charged Sunday night with domestic battery at the home of her other brother, Lawrence Montague of 9248 Chase St. Her son was left in the custody of Joseph Montague. The state Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident.

Montague had been serving two years of probation after pleading guilty in January 2004 to a felony charge of driving under the influence, according to Florida Department of Corrections records.

--Jennifer Liberto can be reached at 352 848-1434 or liberto@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 8, 2005, 16:52:55]