RALEIGH — The legislative assistant of state Sen. Norman Sanderson (R-Pamlico) was arrested on arson charges last week.
Diane Elizabeth Cook, 38, was arrested by Raleigh Police on Nov. 24 and charged with first-degree arson for allegedly attempting to set two adjacent townhomes on fire in the 8300 block of Boca Point in northeast Raleigh.
It’s the second arrest tied to Sanderson in the past two months. The Pamlico legislator was arrested on DWI charges in October.
According to surveillance footage, the incident occurred around 6 a.m. on Nov. 20, when Cook reportedly placed a lit candle against the siding of one townhome, but the home failed to catch fire. Cook allegedly then moved it to the neighboring unit and was able to start a fire that spread to the back door, filling the home with smoke.
The couple, named in court documents as Misty and Thomas Patinelli, escaped without serious injuries after being awoken by smoke and finding flames downstairs. An estimated $1,000 in damages was incurred by the blaze.
Cook made her first court appearance Nov. 25 before Wake County Judge Margaret Eagles, who set her bond at $150,000 secured, which Cook later posted. Eagles also imposed conditions on Cook’s release, including no contact with the victims or nearby neighbors.
First-degree arson is a Class D felony in North Carolina and can carry a potential prison sentence of 38 to 160 months.
