A woman accused of setting fire to her home in Cinebar on Monday and ramming her car into a responding fire engine is now facing felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court.
The woman, Katherina L. Howard, 29, was charged Tuesday with one count each of first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief, tampering with a fire alarm or firefighting equipment with the intent to commit arson, driving under the influence and hit-and-run to an attended vehicle.
Her bail was set at $50,000 on Tuesday.
Howard is accused of starting a fire both inside and outside of the trailer she rents in the 100 block of Zola Drive East and then driving her vehicle head-on into a responding Lewis County Fire District 8 engine that responded to the fire.
“The investigation revealed that this was apparently an attempt by Howad to stop the fire truck from putting out the fire,” a responding Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy wrote in his report, which was quoted in the affidavit of probable cause filed in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
The fire engine sustained minor visible damage, but it was removed from service for a safety inspection, according to court documents.
The crash caused significant damage to Howard’s vehicle, deployed her airbag and delayed response to the fire, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene at about 10:15 a.m. on Monday after a neighbor reported a possible vehicle fire in the area. The caller also advised a woman at the scene, who was later identified as Howard, was “screaming and possibly having a mental breakdown,” according to court documents.
While en route to the scene, deputies were reportedly told Howard “claimed ‘the baby was dead,’” according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators later confirmed Howard’s children were safe with a family member and were not at the Cinebar residence at the time of the incident.
Howard allegedly told a detective at the scene “she had started a fire at the residence, and when asked why she would only mention something about the oven,” according to court documents.
Howard, who was reportedly “running through the yard and away from the residence” at the time Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the scene, was detained as soon as deputies arrived and was monitored inside a patrol vehicle.
While monitoring Howard, a deputy noted “she would scream inaudibly at neighbors watching from a distance something to the effect of ‘watch it burn’” and “appeared to be under the influence of drugs — she would kick the metal cage inside the patrol vehicle, was sweating profusely and would have severe mood swings,” according to court documents.
Howard was transported from Cinebar to Providence Centralia Hospital for a blood draw and was then booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 12, according to jail records.
While defense attorney Rachael Tiller asked Judge J. Andrew Toynbee to set Howard’s bail no higher than $25,000 on Tuesday due to her financial status and community ties, Deputy Prosecutor Karin Phomma asked Toynbee to set Howard’s bail at $100,000 due to the severity of the allegations and Howard’s warrant history.
Toynbee opted to set bail between the two requests at $50,000.
“I am concerned mostly with the facts of this case,” Toynbee said Tuesday, explaining that Howard’s warrant history was not a major contributing factor in his bail decision.
“I’m familiar with Ms. Howard. She was in (Lewis County) Drug Court. She has been very successful in this community until very recently,” Toynbee said Tuesday, adding that he found the facts of this case “concerning for public safety and her own safety.”
First-degree arson is a class A felony, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. First-degree malicious mischief is a class B felony carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Howard’s remaining charges are both considered gross misdemeanors, according to court documents.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, June 22.
