A 50-year-old Magnolia woman accused of setting fire to her neighbors’ house and several vehicles apparently had no interaction with them before Tuesday morning, according to the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office.
After a 12-hour standoff with Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office SWAT and the Crisis Negotiation Team, Christine Riley was arrested at the 26000 block of Rhode Island in Magnolia and charged with arson with intent to damage or destroy a habitation or place of worship — a first degree felony.
Around 5:30 a.m., Riley set fire to her neighbors’ home and several vehicles, forcing the family of four to flee their burning home through their back door, according to a release from the county fire marshal’s office.
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Riley then fled to her house and refused to leave after sheriff’s deputies and county fire marshal investigators tried to apprehend her, the release states.
Responding deputies suspected that Riley had access to a gun and was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
“(Riley) had not had any interaction with the neighbor,” said Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams. “The victims don’t know why she set the trucks on fire and set their house on fire. We’re still investigating to determine the motive.”
Riley is being held at the Montgomery County jail with a $50,000 bond. The county fire marshal’s office is continuing its investigation.
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