Kennewick arson suspect allegedly wanted to cleanse girlfriend of demons

A Kennewick man allegedly set multiple fires in his girlfriend’s home because he wanted to burn the demons out of her and their two housemates.

Sergio S. Tijerina blocked the front door with boxes and stuffed clothes into the oven and all available bread into a toaster, according to court documents.

Then, one by one, he started to burn things, claiming it would cleanse his girlfriend and the others, documents said. The home’s interior now is destroyed.

The girlfriend reported that she thought Tijerina used “a bunch of cocaine” earlier that night. She left her split-level home before the early Sept. 29 fires to stay with friends because Tijerina had argued with her and was “acting crazy.”

But the other couple living in the house were forced to escape out their bedroom window since the front door was barricaded and there was too much smoke in the hallway.

Firefighters pulled Tijerina from his hiding place in a bedroom closet since he refused to come out. Once outside the home, the uncooperative Tijerina was handcuffed and eventually taken to jail, police said.

He is being held on $50,000 bail.

On Wednesday, Tijerina pleaded innocent in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree arson with domestic violence allegations. His trial is scheduled Nov. 27.

The 34-year-old man already had an active felony case for allegedly assaulting another woman — mother of his two children — in June and pushing his way into her Richland home.

The trial in that case is Dec. 11 for residential burglary and one count each of second- and fourth-degree assault, all with domestic violence allegations.

Police and firefighters were alerted to the house fire at 303 W. 19th Ave. at 2:47 a.m. Sept. 29. Dispatchers took two separate calls from the girlfriend and the other female resident.

Firefighters told police it was clear that Tijerina had intentionally burned down the home, wrote Kennewick Detective John Davis.

Earlier the same night, police had been called to the house because Tijerina and his girlfriend were arguing.

Tijerina already had burned her tapestry in a backyard fire pit. She then left.

About a half-hour later, the other couple — a 31-year-old man and 36-year-old woman — reported smelling what they thought was burnt popcorn. They called the girlfriend, worried that Tijerina was burning something, and were told to immediately get out.

In the June case, Tijerina dropped off his daughter and forced his way into his ex’s home after she tried to shut the door on his, court documents said. He then grabbed the woman by the neck and squeezed so she could not breathe, documents said.

Tijerina allegedly dragged her into the living room, pushed her down to the floor and yelled and cursed at her. While he was in the bathroom, the woman ran outside and called 911. Tijerina found her on the phone and said he didn’t do anything wrong, then left.

Richland police spent the next hour trying to find Tijerina. He returned to the house unlocked by one of the kids, refused to leave and grabbed her arm so she couldn’t call police.

Tijerina claimed that both times the woman became “hysterical” when he tried to talk with her. He denied going into the house or touching her, but admitted blocking the front door from closing on him.

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 7:44 PM with the headline "Kennewick arson suspect allegedly wanted to cleanse girlfriend of demons."