A Stephens County Grand Jury hands down indictments

A Toccoa woman has been indicted on one count of arson in the first degree.

The Stephens County Grand Jury indicted 36-year-old Amber Michelle Chambers with one count of arson.

According to the indictment, the incident took place on March 4, 2018.

Authorities say Chambers knowingly damaged the residence at 277 Country Club Drive, in Toccoa.

Investigators believe that Chambers and a friend were trespassing on the property when Chambers started a fire.

Following the initial arrest, former Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said the fire caused more than $100,000 in damages to the home.

According to Hudgens’ spokesperson Glenn Allen, Chambers and her friend were using the back deck of the house ‘recreationally’ while her neighbors were not there.

Reports indicated the fire originated on the back porch of the residence and then burned into the structure between floor levels.

In other indictments, Joseph Lee Hedrick was indicted on the following: false imprisonment, terroristic threats, and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree.

The incident occurred on October 9, 2017.

Also, Chad Carson Watkins faces an indictment involving false imprisonment in an unrelated case.

Watkins was indicted on the following: false imprisonment, reckless driving and improper passing.

The incident occurred on May 11, 2018.