Usually when we report on fires – the homes are completely destroyed, the families lose everything and in the worst case scenario, lives are lost. Well, in our next story, a woman was spared from all that when only a small portion of her wooden home was scorched. Today, home owner Andre Diaz expressed how grateful she was to be alive and sent a message to the arsonist whose lawless act could have killed her. Courtney Weatherburne has the story.
This is as far as the damage goes on this Consuelo Street home – the fire torched this portion of the house, leaving blackened holes in the walls like nasty scars. Although it was a minor fire, it was anything but trivial for the home owner Andre Diaz who could have been burnt alive inside.
Diaz was asleep when she was awakened by commotion outside; she had no idea that an arsonist doused her home in kerosene and lit it.
Voice of Andre Diaz
"So when I hear everybody just holler mama is in there, they thought the house was catching fire and I wasn’t in it so when I run out, I ran out straight to my grand mom and I ask and when they told me fire I run in back, I see the fire the start because when I exit my house I just saw smoke and real darkness but I didn’t see the fire. When I come back, I saw the fire and I help myself out it from the inside while my step farther and the fire engine men were outside with buckets trying to out it there like. That is all I can say. I didn’t smell the kerosene, while I was asleep nothing. The fire, it is right at my head they wanted to start it, I was going to burn up, my head, and even if my body could have been living a 65 percent my head gone you know."
Police combed the area and found the bottle of kerosene the culprits left behind.
ASP Alejandro Cowo, OC, CIB
"At the scene likewise police were able to locate a transparent container with the suspected accelerant that we suspect was used to light the building."
But for someone who was almost killed inside her home, she was very forgiving – basking in the joy of being alive.
Voice of Andre Diaz
"I am not holding no grudge, I am not holding no hatred, no jealously, no envy, all the tears that I drop it is for the blessing that I drop upon all those who thought of doing this to my house. I just have to thank the good Lord and I can say this is a blessing, this is not luck, I don’t believe in luck, I am a blessed child."
Courtney Weatherburne
"And you are very happy to be alive right now?"
Voice of Andre Diaz
"Yes very, very happy but not only happy for my life but happy for my house. I don’t even have a good three or five years in here yet."
Diaz built her home two years ago. She says she has no idea who would want to burn her house down or harm her. Again, it is amazing that her wooden home, that was doused in kerosene was not completely destroyed.
Police have a person from the neighborhood detained.
Email
Print