2 cats killed in Warren house fire, pet owner's ex-boyfriend arrested

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A warren man was arrested after police said he may have intentionally set fire to his mobile home, killing two pets.

The suspect, Jesse Humphrey, shared the mobile home on Zerita Street in Warren with his now ex-girlfriend, Lacey Mason. They had been together for over a year.

"I am learning so much stuff that I never really knew who this person was," Lacy told FOX 2.

On Sunday, police arrested Humphrey in connection with the fire. As of Wednesday, he has been charged with two counts of second-degree arson and one count of killing/torturing animals. 

"We had received witness reports that there was a male outside yelling and screaming and destroying the windows and trailer, and may or may not have started the fire," said Warren Police Lt. Scott Isaacson.

Lacy's two cats, Kimchi and Fluffy Cat, died in the blaze.

"She just looked like she was sleeping, like she tried to get out," she said. "He blocked it so they couldn’t get out of the house."

(Lacy Mason)

Lacy was not home at the time of the incident.

"I went to my mom’s house to sleep because my friends had begged me not to come home," she said. "They felt like I wasn’t going to be safe."

Humphrey's bond was set at $500,000, cash/surety. 

"I can’t wrap my head around it. I really can’t, and I feel so bad for her and those cats," said Lacy's sister, Lindsey Mason. "He was very reliant on all of us as a family. We really tried to help this guy, get himself together, and be there for him and treat him as if he were my brother – so it’s very shocking."

A GoFundMe has been created by Lacy's friend to help her recover from the incident, in which she lost all of her belongings. 

"I have nothing, everything that I’ve ever cared about is completely gone," Lacy said. "I have clothes from my sister and some friends, but I have the clothes on my back that I left with that night."