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'I saw my baby on fire,' says mom of 16-year-old burned in Detroit firebombing as suspect is charged

Posted at 6:43 PM, Mar 26, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-26 18:50:00-04

DETROIT (WXYZ) — "It was my worst nightmare," said the mother of 16-year-old Tiara Moore about seeing her daughter on fire after something with an accelerant was thrown into their home Friday.

Tiara is now at Detroit Receiving Hospital where her family has not left her side.

Investigators said the suspect, 22-year-old James Bishop Craft III, confessed to the crime.

Craft has been charged with first-degree arson, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

The firebombing happened at 10:47 a.m. Friday at an apartment building located on Schaefer near I-96 on Detroit's west side. Tiara was on the couch when it happened. Several other family members were also injured, but not as critically.

Craft is a married father of two young children.

A source close to the investigation told 7 Action News that Craft was jealous over a woman, and his intended target was not in the apartment where Tiara was with her family.

During Craft's arraignment, his attorney told the magistrate that he believes Craft has been previously convicted in an assault. Court records show Craft had also been charged in 2018 with 3rd Degree Child Abuse and Aggravated Domestic Violence. The case was dismissed when the complaining witness did not show up to court.

On the arson case, Magistrate Jeffrey Kleparek set Craft's bond at $400,000 cash or surety.

"Although a total of four kids and two adults were injured, Tiara has suffered the worst injuries with nearly 70% of her body badly burned," someone wrote on a GoFundMe account set up to help the teen's family with medical and living expenses. Their apartment was destroyed.