HOUSTON – A woman’s estranged husband hit her with his vehicle after a fire was intentionally set early Tuesday at a northwest Harris County home, fire officials said.
The fire was set in the 11400 block of Mortimer, the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said.
The Harris County Fire Marshall’s Office said the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man named Pablo Patino, 28.
Authorities said Patino -- at approximately 3:30 this morning -- intentionally set fire to a family home where his wife, with whom he is separated, was staying. The suspect waited in his vehicle and then hit his wife with his vehicle once she evacuated the house. Patino, authorities said, fled the scene.
The victim’s brother Logan Saldana, who was in the home at the time, said the family dogs alerted the family to the flames. Saldana said he immediately jumped into action.
“I had a fire extinguisher in my room in my tool bag,” Saldana said. “I went to go grab that. I went to where the fire was sprayed it on the inside, went to the back sprayed it on the back door.”
As he was battling the flames himself, the 23-year-old recalls hearing his sister screaming to her estranged husband.
“I heard her say, ‘What’s going on?’ and he drove off,” he said. “I was over there putting out the fire still. I heard the car screech off, do a doughnut and he came and hit her with the car and he drive off,” Saldana said.
Saldana said his dad used a hose trying to put out the flames and both were unsuccessful, and the flames were ultimately extinguished when firefighters arrived on-scene.
Patino is currently on the run and abandoned the car a few blocks away, authorities said. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has accepted arson of habitation, violation of protective order, and aggravated assault charges in this case, the fire marshal’s office said.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is also assisting with this case.
The family told KPRC 2 it has set up a GoFundMe account to help with expenses.