Man arrested for intentionally setting fire to Spokane home with child inside

SPOKANE — Spokane police arrested a man accused of intentionally setting fire to a home where his own child and four other people were asleep inside on June 9th, just blocks away from Northtown Mall.

Romello D. Abram, 35, was arrested after Jorden Mayo, the mother of his daughter who lived in the home, told authorities where he was located. Police say Abram was not permitted to be within 1,000 feet of the property at the time of the fire.

Mayo was living in the house at the time with her daughter and three others. She said she had just spoken with Abram the day before the flames woke her up, and she couldn’t believe what she saw when she reviewed security camera footage.

“I was thinking like it was an accident, a cigarette or something. And they wanted me to pull up the cameras and I do and I’m just like ugh there’s no way. Like I see his face on there and there’s no way,” Mayo said.

Mayo said her 5-year-old daughter’s room was the closest to where the flames started, but fortunately, the child was sleeping in the living room with her that night. Two strangers who were heading to work spotted the flames and took immediate action. They kicked in the door and helped evacuate all five people safely through a window because smoke had filled the home.

Mayo described the emotional toll of returning to the house.

“It’s traumatizing. It’s like Alice in Wonderland like when the door would open and the room would literally shrink like whoa. That’s PTSD, I feel like that’s trauma. It’s just really weird and scary,” Mayo said.

Although Mayo lost her home and the majority of her belongings, she said the most important thing in the world to her is safe.

“All this stuff is material and Riley, my bright shining ray of sunshine is just really all that matters. I’ll throw all this stuff in the trash if her and I are okay you know?” Mayo said.

Abram now faces two counts of arson, one count of domestic violence harassment, and one count of violating a court order. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.