Lang
4/23/26
Iowa City Police have arrested a suspect they say intentionally set a fire that damaged a shack at a local homeless encampment.
31-year-old Hailee Weaver, who has no permanent address, was booked into the Johnson County Jail just before 1:00 Wednesday afternoon. Investigators say Weaver had been told to leave a wooden shack at the encampment along the west bank of the Iowa River, south of McCollister Boulevard, on Sunday morning, The residents say about an hour later…just before 8:45 a.m…they heard Weaver banging on items outside of the shack. They then smelled something burning, went outside, and saw the shack was on fire. Witnesses say they saw Weaver walking away from the blaze while laughing.
Weaver is now charged with 1st Degree Arson. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.