The Detroit police and fire departments are asking for the public's help in identifying a man who intentionally set an apartment building on fire, putting dozens of lives in danger.
Surveillance video from the morning of June 9, released Wednesday, shows a man entering the building at 9303 E. Jefferson around 4:20 a.m. The man, wearing distinct red pants and a purple or blue hoodie, is seen carefully hiding his face from the cameras as he goes to the second floor, pours a liquid on the ground in front of an occupied unit, then stands in the stairwell and sparks the flame before quickly making his escape.
Fire and smoke filled the building while residents were asleep inside.
Resident Damarko Smith was seeing the video for the first time and learning that the fire that woke him up that morning was intentionally set.
"Why you jeopardize all these lives like that man, that's crazy," Smith said.
"It was devastating man, putting all these lives in danger like that, over something stupid?" Smith said.
Resident Renetta Lane was also home at the time. Firefighters pounded on her door as she grabbed her baby and rushed outside.
"I had to wake my baby out of her sleep, it was crazy and scary," Lane said.
The fire department says no one was hurt, and the sprinkler system in the building helped put the fire out. Lane recorded video the day of the fire showing the damage left behind, but it wasn't until Wednesday that she saw the surveillance footage of when it started.
"Why would he do something like that? You got to be a sick you know what," Lane said after watching the video.
"I pray he get caught because he could've killed me and my baby, and my sister," Lane said.
There is a reward of up to $5,000 for anyone with information. Anyone with tips can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
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