MAGNOLIA, Texas (KTRK) — A southwest Montgomery County family is thankful to be alive after a woman set their house and three of their vehicles on fire, sparking a 12-hour standoff with police.
It happened in the 26000 block of Rhode Island Street in the Victoria Village Mobile Home Community just after 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Surveillance video shows a woman, who the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office identified as Christine Riley, dropping a burning object on the family’s front porch and then walking away as the porch goes up in flames.
Still images provided by the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office show the woman pouring liquid from a gas canister onto the family’s doorstep.
Setcheel Sanchez, a construction worker whose boss lives at the home, said he showed up for work to find the woman pouring gasoline on his boss’ vehicles.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Sanchez said. “I just started honking for like five minutes until everybody was awake ’cause everybody was asleep. I just started honking, honking, honking until everybody came out.”
Mitzi Garza said she walked outside to find the woman standing on her porch.
“The lady’s standing right here, she’s burning up a paper,” Garza said.
Garza and Sanchez said the paper she was burning turned out to be a page ripped from a Bible.
“I ask her, ‘What are you doing?’ She goes, ‘What do you think I’m doing?'” Garza recalled.
The woman’s intent soon becomes apparent as surveillance video shows her dropping the flaming object she’s holding, setting Garza’s porch ablaze.
Garza said she ran inside to get her husband and three children, ages 17, 14, and 2.
With their path out the front door blocked by flames, Garza said she and her family were forced to flee out the back door.
“I was really scared. I was like, ‘What is she doing? I don’t know her. Why would she do this?’ Like, I have my kids in here,” Garza said.
Records show Riley lives across the street from Garza. While a motive hasn’t been determined, neighbors say she suffers from mental issues.
Sanchez said he and his boss put out the flames while Riley retreated to her house.
The fire marshal’s office said she remained there for the next 12 hours as a SWAT team and crisis negotiators attempted to get her to surrender.
Sanchez said they eventually made their way into the home by breaking a window. Video obtained by Eyewitness News shows Riley being brought out on a gurney.
She was taken to the hospital for observation before being booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a first-degree felony arson charge.
Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams told ABC13 that no one was injured during the fire or arrest. He said his office is working with prosecutors to determine the motive.
