Woman who set Spokane home ablaze, killing 2 dogs, gets 3 days in jail

A 46-year-old woman who set fire to an East Central Spokane home in 2021 was sentenced last week to three days in jail. The fire killed two dogs.

Catrina Houseman pleaded guilty to first-degree malicious mischief. Houseman was initially charged on suspicion of first-degree arson and two counts of first-degree animal cruelty.

Houseman’s ex-boyfriend, Christopher Majoros, told police he was at work on Jan. 26, 2021, when Houseman texted him photos of her using an electric charcoal igniter to set fire to a blanket in their home on the 2400 block of East Fifth Avenue, according to court documents.

Majoros said Houseman was his ex-girlfriend at the time and was living in the home. He told police Houseman was “deteriorating mentally” leading up to the fire and he tried to get her help.

He said he rushed home while his neighbor called 911 to report the fire. The house was on fire when Majoros arrived and Houseman was still inside with the dogs, Majoros said in court records.

He told police he opened the front door and Houseman came out, but the smoke was too thick to go back in and find the dogs.

Houseman sustained serious burns and “almost didn’t make it out” of the home, Majoros told The Spokesman-Review shortly after the fire.

Majoros told The Spokesman-Review the two dogs were Sammy, a Carolina dog, and Diesel, a Jack Russell terrier.

Majoros said Houseman, who has no prior felonies, did not take her medication the previous night and expected the day of the fire to be a rough day, but “I didn’t think it would be this bad.”