Family says woman set their home on fire with kids inside

Sunday, January 8, 2017
Family says acquaintance set their home on fire with children inside.
A single mother of six says a woman intentionally set her home on fire with her kids inside.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A single mother of six says a woman intentionally set her home on fire with her kids inside.

Cynthia Monjaraz claims Jennifer Viscarra, an acquaintance, set her home on fire all because she wouldn't give a mutual friend a ride on New Year's Day.

Cynthia said she left her home to run an errand and her six kids, ages six to 16-years-old, stayed home.

Minutes later, Cynthia says the woman broke inside and set her home on fire.

"She broke in because my door, it's messed up so she walked in. The kids are like we're going to wait upstairs mom and we're going to go to sleep. If they would have fell asleep, they would have been dead," said Cynthia Monjaraz.

Fortunately the children all got out safely and were not hurt.

Mother says woman set fire to her home with kids inside

Police arrested Jennifer Viscarra at the scene on three outstanding warrants. Officers say she admitted to the starting the fire, but she has not been charged at this time.

Cynthia and her children don't have insurance on the home and are now staying in the hotel.

The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for their expenses.