This browser does not support the Video element.
Warren man accused of setting home on fire, killing two cats
The man's ex-girlfriend, who lived with him in the mobile home, lost two cats in the fire -- Kimchi and Fluffy Cat.
(FOX 2) - A Macomb County man will spend at least a few years in prison after his conviction in an arson case out of Warren.
Jesse Humphrey, 30, was found guilty by a jury for arson and animal torture after he burned his girlfriend's house down with her pet cats still inside.
Big picture view:
A Macomb County circuit court judge sentenced Humphrey to a minimum of 75 to 240 months in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Judge Joseph Toia agreed with the prosecutor's recommendation for the maximum sentence more than a month after a five-day jury trial in October. He was found guilty of two counts of second-degree arson and two counts of first-degree animal torture/killing.
He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim or her family, no social media contact, and no attempt to address her in any way.
He will also be required to pay the victim $15,000 in restitution as a condition of his parole.
He received credit for 438 days of time served.
Jesse Humphrey, 30, of Warren.
The backstory:
Humphrey set fire to his girlfriend's home in Warren in September 2024, destroying the home and killing her pets.
She was not home at the time.
The two had been together for over a year before Humphrey torched their mobile home. He was arrested soon after police connected him to the fire.
According to the victim, Humphrey had blocked the way outside the home to keep the cats from escaping.
2 cats killed in Warren house fire, pet owner's ex-boyfriend arrested
"I am learning so much stuff that I never really knew who this person was," said the suspect's ex-girlfriend, who lived with him in the mobile home.
The Source: A press release from the Macomb County Prosecutor's office and previous reporting was cited for this story.