Woman charged after setting toilet paper rolls on fire

A woman who lit two toilet paper rolls on fire at Berkeley’s City Hall while a man in a wheelchair was using the restroom has been charged with a misdemeanor by the Alameda County district attorney’s office.

Dawn Carraway, 25 — who has no listed home address — told police she did it because “after she lights the paper on fire, it smells like honey,” according to court papers.

Berkeley Police Officer David Marble wrote that Carraway entered a women’s bathroom at City Hall, 2180 Milvia St., last Wednesday, April 15, at 9:35 a.m. while another person was using the restroom.

She then lit the toilet paper rolls on fire, according to police. A man in a wheelchair was in the adjacent disabled stall while she did so, according to police.

Two officers watched Carraway leave the bathroom, and saw both toilet paper rolls smoldering, according to court papers. Marble wrote that Carraway admitted to setting the toilet paper on fire.

Police arrested her at 9:55 a.m.

Police noted that Carraway is on probation through Oct. 28, 2017, for illegal conduct at a burning building, and animal cruelty.

Last week, the district attorney’s office charged Carraway with one misdemeanor, recklessly causing fire to property at Berkeley’s City Hall.

Carraway remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $10,000. She is scheduled to enter a plea, after arraignment, Wednesday morning at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.

Update, April 24: In response to several reader questions passed on by Berkeleyside, the BART Police were able to confirm that Dawn Carraway was also arrested in Berkeley on March 16. According to the report that was just provided, Carraway was arrested at 8:44 a.m. after “launching an unprovoked assault” on a man inside the downtown Berkeley BART station. Police said she also assaulted officers at the scene. The next part of the (brief) report was redacted. The following day at 4:30 p.m., she was taken to Santa Rita Jail where she was booked on suspicion of battery with injury on a passenger.

BART previously released the following information about the same incident: The BART Police Department handled a battery that resulted in a psychiatric detention at the downtown Berkeley BART station. At 8:44 a.m., an officer responded to a report of a battery that occurred in the station: “It was reported that a female jumped on the back of a male subject and battered him. The attack was reportedly unprovoked. The officer, along with Berkeley Police officers, detained the subject … and had to use physical force to restrain her.” The woman was taken to Alta Bates under a psychiatric detention, and was slated to be booked, once cleared, on suspicion of battery on a transit passenger. Her name was not initially released.

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Emilie Raguso