A Kelso woman suspected of burning down her house while she and others were still inside will be sent back to Western State Hospital for mental health treatment.
Donna Navarrete, 56, is facing charges of first-degree reckless burning. She’ll spend six months in treatment at Western State.
On Feb. 23, a fire engulfed a two-story house at 137 Lexington Ave. When police arrived, they found Navarrete, the home’s owner, in the driveway, holding a smoldering piece of rolled-up paper, covered in soot and with her hair singed. According to a court document, Navarrete’s two roommates were temporarily trapped on the roof after the fire broke out. One of them told police he had to break out a window and force Navarrete out.
Navarrete declined to speak to police at the scene. After she allegedly assaulted a Cowlitz County Sheriff’s reserve deputy who was taking her to jail in November 2014, she was evaluated by staff at Western State, who concluded in May 2015 that Navarrete could not assist in her own defense because of mental health issues including depression and a disorder related to amphetamine use.
Navarrete’s roommates said they had practiced escaping from the roof prior to the February fire and had turned off the power to the stove, microwave and toaster because they believed Navarrete’s talk the previous week of burning down the house was credible. One of them reported that Navarrete was singing “Burn, burn, we’re all going to burn” the morning of the fire.
The home, valued at close to $68,000, was considered a total loss.