A D.C. family was left with nothing after their home was the target of arson attacks two days in a row this week. Police have a suspect in custody.
Charnineen Stebenson and her children are counting their blessings they weren’t hurt.
“It’s, I can’t even put the words together,” Stebenson said. “Like, I’m startled. Shook up.”
The nightmare started Thursday morning when a man who had beef with Stebenson’s brother set his sights on her first-floor apartment here on Suitland Terrace in Southeast, Stebenson said. He allegedly broke out a window and threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail inside, damaging the living room.
He returned Friday morning to finish what he started, D.C. fire officials said.
“The fire this morning is the second fire to take place at this apartment in a little over 24 hours,” said Vito Maggiolo of D.C. Fire and EMS. “Both of these fires have been declared arson.”
“We had to run out of the house,” neighbor Emmanuel Falodua said. “We couldn’t really take anything because the smoke was already showing, and so we ran out of the house.”
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He said called 911 when he saw a man trying to set the building on fire Friday morning.
“I went towards him and tried to talk to him to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Falodua said. “And then he run, and then I ran after him.”
Later Friday, fire investigators announced the arrest of Michael Hawkins.
“Me and my children have nothing,” Stebenson said. “He burnt my home down where me and my children reside. We have nothing. I have to start over.”
The Red Cross was called in to assist the family.
“It was just really scary because I just couldn’t believe that he was doing it again,” neighbor Dominique Davis said.
No other homes were damaged.
“We’re all just happy that no one was hurt,” Davis said.
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