Aurora woman charged with aggravated arson, battery

A 35-year-old Aurora woman has been arrested and charged with threatening her husband with a knife and setting fire to his clothes while a baby and a 12-year-old were inside their Aurora home.

Rosana N. Taylor, of the 0-99 block of North Kendall Street, Aurora, faces felony charges of aggravated arson and aggravated domestic battery in connection with an incident on Sunday, according to Kane County court records and Aurora police.

Taylor is accused of starting a fire knowing occupants were present; she also is accused of cutting the 37-year-old man with a knife, court records show.

Aurora Police Sgt. Bill Rowley said authorities received a call at about 1 a.m. Sunday from Taylor's husband, who said she was "destroying" the home while armed with a knife. When authorities arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from a bedroom in the home and Aurora firefighters put out the blaze, police said.

The man and the two children, a 5-month-old and a 12-year-old, had escaped; Taylor, who drove off, was later arrested at her place of overnight employment on the 2200 block of West Galena Boulevard, police said.

The man suffered a small cut to his left hand during the argument, during which Taylor held a knife to this throat, police said. The man was treated at the scene; no one else was hurt, police said.

Taylor is being held at the Kane County jail on $100,000 bail, meaning she must post $10,000 to be released while the charges are pending. If she posts bond, she is to have no contact with her husband and no entry into their residence on the 0-99 block of North Kendall Street, records show.

She is next due in court on Friday and faces a punishment of six to 30 years in prison if convicted on the most severe charge of aggravated arson.