VIDEO: Arsonist sets Midlothian home on fire while family was asleep inside
Arsonist sets Midlothian home on fire overnight
Terrifying video shows a man setting a North Texas family of eight's home on fire early Tuesday morning. One family member happened to be awake at the time and woke everyone up after she realized flames were shooting up the front of her house.
MIDLOTHIAN, Texas - Terrifying video shows a man setting a North Texas family of eight's home on fire early Tuesday morning.
One family member happened to be awake at the time and woke everyone up after she realized flames were shooting up the front of her house.
Midlothian Arson
What we know:
The fire happened around 1 a.m. on Tuesday at the Wilson family’s two-story home on McAlpin Road in Midlothian.
Security cameras captured what appears to be a young man in a hoodie pouring gasoline around the front door, windows, and garage. He then lights it on fire and runs off.
Darryl Wilson’s 21-year-old daughter, Malia, was home from college on summer break and was still awake at the time. Since her bedroom is directly above the garage, she saw the motion-activated security lights turn on.
She walked downstairs to get a closer look, and that’s when she saw the flames outside the living room window. She called 911 and woke her dad up.
The family was able to use pots of water to keep the flames at bay until firefighters arrived to put them all out.
Luckily, no one was hurt, and the damage was minimized.
What they're saying:
The family has watched the video several times. They’re horrified each time.
"I just feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, what would’ve happened if it got in the house?’" Wilson said. "In my mind, I’m like, ‘What made you do this?’ It was the middle of the night. Everyone had turned their lights off. Everyone was sleeping. The kids were sleeping."
The family is now planning to move.
"My kids don’t want to stay. My wife doesn’t want to stay. You know, they’re traumatized," Wilson said. "It’s a hurting thing for someone to come to my home and do that. And I feel helpless as a father."
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What we don't know:
The arson suspect has not yet been identified and remains at large.
Wilson said his family doesn’t recognize him and doesn’t know why he would have done this.
The Midlothian Police Department is investigating the case as an arson offense, so detectives are working in conjunction with the fire marshal.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Midlothian police or fire department.
The Source: FOX 4's Alex Boyer gathered details for this story from the Midlothian Police Department and in an interview with the homeowner.