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A Grand Meadow woman has been charged with arson following an incident earlier this month in which she is accused of setting a shed ablaze, which contained a new tractor.

Phyllis Lynn Gregerson, 54, has been charged with felony first degree arson and felony terroristic threats along with a single misdemeanor of domestic assault. She made her first appearance in Mower County District Court on Wednesday.

According to the court complaint, Gregerson allegedly set the shed on fire after claiming to have discovered an online affair her husband was having.

The Grand Meadow Fire Department was dispatched to the property, located in the 27000 block of 730th Avenue, at around 5 a.m. on Nov. 6. A Mower County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived on scene to find the shed fully engulfed.

The shed sustained an estimated $5,000 worth of damage while the tractor, a 2022 John Deere 1023 worth $32,000, was a complete loss. There was also observed damage to the vinyl siding on the residence and a red truck worth $500 and a go-cart valued at $200 was lost.

The victim stated that he and Gregerson had been arguing earlier in the night and that she had been drinking. He said at one point she accused him of having an online affair and that Gregerson hit him in the face a couple times while also throwing hot coffee onto his chest.

She also allegedly threatened to burn the house down and then kill both the victim and herself.

The victim went on to say that a few weeks earlier she had pointed a gun at him, prompting to remove firearms from the residence.

The complaint goes on to say that later in the night, Gregerson left the residence, only to return at around 3 a.m. The victim later stated that he heard her making noise in the garage and went to see what she was doing, only to find it on fire.

Gregerson was taken into custody and then ultimately transported to Mayo Clinic Health Services-Austin where she was released to medical staff care.

The complaint goes on to say that she agreed to meet with a detective at the Law Enforcement Center where she allegedly admitted that she started the fire with gasoline in the shed.

She said that after she discovered the alleged affair she decided the tractor, which she had bought for her husband to make him happy, had to go.

Gregerson stated to the detective that she thought, “you don’t get a girlfriend, and a John Deere tractor, and a wife to pay for it for your midlife crisis. You can have one of those and be forgiven, but you can’t have two and you definitely can’t have a wife paying for it.”

She also admitted making the comment about murder-suicide, but tried explaining it away by saying it was “more of poor taste than anything.”

Gregerson denied assaulting the victim or threatening him with a handgun.

Gregerson is scheduled for an initial appearance on Nov. 28.