Sumter woman charged with arson of Broad Street motel 

Numerous agencies in Sumter assisted in the investigation of a Broad Street motel blaze that led to the arrest of one woman. 

At around 8:53 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, a Sumter County Sheriff's Office deputy noticed flames at the door of a motel room and immediately notified dispatch and emergency vehicles.

According to Sumter County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Mark Bordeaux, the deputy assisted Deanna Lynn Whitley, 46, the occupant of the room, away as it was soon fully engulfed in flames. The deputy then alerted other motel occupants to evacuate their rooms. Bordeaux confirmed it was the Sharolyn Motel at 4244 Broad St. 

Additional deputies, Sumter Fire Department firefighters and Sumter EMS were notified and en route as the deputy confirmed all occupants were safely away from their rooms and secured the scene, Bordeaux said. 

An incident report obtained by The Sumter Item detailed Whitley  appeared to be pulling a type of cloth that was on fire out of the room. She told the responding deputy that she and her boyfriend lived in the room and she was trying to put the fire out. Whitley was then interviewed by SCSO investigators and stated she had a cigarette which caught the room curtain on fire. She was unsuccesful in putting the fire out inside of the room, which is why she attempted to pull it out of the room, according to the incident report. 

Based on the  information provided by Whitley as well as evidence found at the scene by arson investigators, she was arrested and charged with second-degree arson, according to Bordeaux. She remains at Sumter County Sheriff's Office Detention Center on a $15,000 surety bond.