Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist charged Charlotte Ann Clark, 41, with criminal impersonation in the first degree, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and reckless burning in the second degree. She lit a fire in a restroom at the County-City Building in Tacoma, causing the building to be evacuated. Clark is scheduled to be arraigned today at 1:30 p.m. in room 270 of the County-City Building in Tacoma.

“This was more than a prank,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “It was a major, expensive and dangerous disruption to courthouse business.”

Yesterday at 9:00 a.m., Clark lit a fire inside a trash can in the second floor women’s restroom of the County-City Building. Moments later, the fire alarm sounded, and smoke was coming from the restroom. The entire building was evacuated while Tacoma firefighters extinguished the fire. Nobody was hurt.

Once the building was cleared, deputies reviewed the surveillance cameras, which showed Clark going in and out of the restroom twice. After her second exit, she could be seen walking into a nearby courtroom. Deputies believed that she might still be in the building, so they went to the courtroom where Clark was last seen. When deputies contacted Clark, she handed the deputies a fake ID card and attempted to hide her methamphetamine. She was arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail.

Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.