Bend Police turned Sarah Beth Garner, 38, the Bend woman linked to two house fires in Old Bend on Wednesday, over to St. Charles Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.

Garner was found around 6 p.m. at 152 N.W. Florida Ave., a housing complex with a protected courtyard, police spokesman Lt. Chris Carney said.

Residents there found her on the back porch and brought Garner in, unaware of a police search for her. A neighbor informed the residents that police were searching for Garner, and around 6 p.m. Garner was in police custody.

The Florida Avenue residents did not know Garner, Carney said. He said Garner made strange statements to the people on Florida Avenue that she worked for the FBI, for example.

Police forwarded a report to the Deschutes County District Attorney alleging Garner was responsible for the two fires, charging her with first-degree arson, reckless endangerment and reckless burning.

Carney said a witness saw a woman identified as Garner running and screaming from the fire scene on Colorado Avenue.

Bend police and firefighters responded at 12:32 p.m. Wednesday to a two-story house on fire at 134 N.W. Colorado Ave. Arriving at that scene, they found another house not far away, 242 N.W. Hill St., on fire as well. Police identified the Hill Street address as Garner’s home.

Bend Fire Department has not determined the cause of either fire. No injuries resulted, and fire investigators did not estimate the extent of damage to either property.