Former employee accused of setting fire to Wichita tattoo parlor ordered to pay $90K

The former employee who was accused of setting fire to a Wichita tattoo parlor has been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution.

Cassie Grover, 37, of Wichita, was sentenced by Judge Kevin O’Connor to 24 months of probation, District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release. She was also ordered to pay $15,000 to the owners of the building to cover their insurance deductible and $75,000 to the insurance company.

Grover pleaded no contest to aggravated arson on July 12, Bennett said. Her two years of probation include an underlying sentence of 17 months in prison. State sentencing guidelines called for presumptive probation in the case, based on the severity of the crime and Grover’s criminal history.

a fire March 21 at Idle Hands Tattoo and Piercing

Wichita fire Capt. Jose Ocadiz originally estimated a loss of $80,000 to the structure and $150,00 to contents, adding that there was “quite a bit of smoke damage.”

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, Ocadiz said. A fire dog indicated that accelerants, or ignitable liquids, were used to set the fire.

Police arrested Grover at a nearby QuikTrip on suspicion of aggravated arson, burglary and theft in connection to the fire. Officer Charley Davidson said Grover was a former employee of the tattoo parlor.