Fire that burned elderly Pasco couple’s $800K home was intentional, police believe
A predawn fire that heavily damaged a West Pasco home and injured an elderly woman was intentionally set, say investigators.
Pasco police confirmed Tuesday someone was in custody, suspected of setting fire early Monday to the house at the corner of Court Street and Road 103.
Details about the arrest have yet to be released by Wednesday morning, but Tuesday afternoon officers were searching the nearby Argent Street home of 18-year-old Landon T. Keene.
Officials haven’t confirmed that Keene is the suspect in Monday’s fire but he was arrested earlier on Tuesday and booked into the Franklin County jail on suspicion of arson, according to jail records.
Two former Pasco School District employees lived at the house that burn and were woken up by smoke alarms about 2:40 a.m., said Ben Shearer, Pasco Fire Department’s public information officer.
According to reports, the couple struggled to get out of the home ahead of the flames and smoke. The wife had trouble navigating the stairs and suffered burns as she tried to get outside.
Keene’s Argent Road home is less than a block from the home that burned.
It’s not clear if Keene had any connection to the elderly couple who had lived in the same home for nearly 30 years. The home was valued at nearly $800,000.
Death threats, damage, animal cruelty
Online court records show Keene has a history of violence, threats and animal abuse, mostly directed at his family.
Starting in March 2022, Keene was charged in three cases in Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court.
His destructive behavior was in some cases fueled by alcohol and apparent mental health issues, according to court records.
He was charged with punching and kicking holes in the walls and doors of his home, throwing rocks at father’s truck and threatening to shoot him.
Then in November 2022, he allegedly stabbed the family’s Labrador in the stomach.
When he was arrested, he fought with police and allegedly told officers to stab him and that he was going to kill his parents.
Keene entered into Benton County Drug Court as a therapeutic treatment and was scheduled for an update this week.
Just last month, he was back in court and pleaded guilty to harassment for again threatening his father.
This story was originally published August 22, 2023 at 5:53 PM.