Whiteside County woman sentenced to probation in 2023 Rock Falls arson case

MORRISON – A Morrison woman has been sentenced to 30 months of probation in connection with a 2023 car fire.

Taylor A. Zinke, 26, pleaded guilty Monday, Feb. 10, in Whiteside County Circuit Court to one count of felony arson.

She was charged Dec. 1, 2023, with one count of arson, accused of setting a car on fire in Rock Falls.

According to Whiteside County court records, including a no-stalking, no-contact order of protection filed against Zinke, and the Rock Falls Fire Department incident report, Zinke allegedly set a 2015 Ford Fiesta on fire about 6:45 a.m. Nov. 2, 2023, in the driveway of a house in the 2100 block of French Street.

When firefighters arrived, the passenger compartment was engulfed, and because the car was parked about 5 feet from the house, the flames melted the siding, according to the incident report.

Zinke could have been sentenced to anywhere from three to seven years in prison. Along with the probation sentence, she was ordered to pay $4,209, which includes a $1,000 fine, a $500 arson fee, $1,060 in restitution and court costs.