Pair charged with arson

Investigators think two men set a Spokane Valley house on fire in revenge for being evicted.

Alcohol may have given the former tenants the extra push to carry out the arson, court documents said.

Dawnienell C. Taylor and Winston Wilbur, both 26, were charged with first-degree arson and residential burglary in connection with the house fire at 625 S. McKinnon, fire officials said Wednesday.

Spokane Valley firefighters initially responded to the home about 1:30 a.m. June 8, said Clifton Mehaffey, a fire investigator. The home had been set ablaze in two locations, inside the garage and a rear corner of the house.

The blaze destroyed the small home, which was owned by Richard C. Harris, officials said. Damage was estimated at $105,000.

Wilbur rented the house from Harris for about five years, according to court documents. Taylor was his roommate. The two had been evicted in mid-April.

During interviews with investigators, Wilbur said he hated Harris, in part, because the landlord harassed him about late rent payments.

A neighbor told investigators that before the fire, he overheard Wilbur say “Damn it, Dawn, I should just burn the guy’s place down. I’m not going to do it; I just want to, that’s all.”

On June 7, the two men went to Sage Tavern, according to court documents. Wilbur told investigators that after getting drunk and hearing the “last call” announcement, the two men drove to the area where they used to live.

However, Taylor’s parents live in the 700 block of South McKinnon, and Wilbur said that’s why they were in that area.

A witness told investigators he saw Taylor’s van parked nearby just two or three minutes before hearing a loud noise and seeing flames at 625 S. McKinnon.

A gas can that Harris said was missing from the house was found at Wilbur’s new residence, investigators said.

At the time of Wednesday’s arrests, Taylor was already in Geiger Corrections Center for an unrelated matter. Wilbur was arrested on his way to work, authorities said.