CLEVELAND, Ohio — A family is in disbelief after an intentional fire destroyed their half-a-million-dollar house and almost took their lives. The only way their keeping hope is through the community’s support.
According to the Cleveland Division of Fire, the blaze was an arson that started shortly before 2:30 a.m. Saturday in the 1200 block of West 106th Street.
Felipe Freitas and Cecilia Li woke up to a real-life nightmare.
“I woke up in the middle of the night by what we’re going to say was an act of God because I don't know what woke me up,” Li continued, “I just saw flames outside of our bedroom window on the second floor. I just screamed, 'Felipe, the house is on fire.' He shot up out of bed and ran downstairs.”
Felipe went to try to put the fire out while Li grabbed their 7-month-old son. Li then attempted to follow her husband down the steps, but the smoke was too dense. She screamed for him and went to the window on the second floor, and Felipe was ready to catch them.
“He was like, 'I will catch him, just like drop him, and I'll catch him,' and so he did, and then I climbed out the window after him, and he caught me too," said Li.
Once they left the house, they ran to tell their neighbors because the fire was spreading quickly.
“It was very scary, too, because the flames were so high, and the smoke was melting the side of our neighbor's house,” said Freitas.
They called 911, and then reality set in.
“We sat on the stairs and watched our house burn down, waiting for the fire department. Just the windows exploding one by one and watched my car catch on fire, then his car catch on fire,” said Li.
The couple never thought their home would go up in flames, nor did they expect someone to do it intentionally.
“Appalled, like, unbelievable. It’s the level of hatred that someone has to have within themselves to put out something like that in the world and literally try to burn down my whole family in our sleep is surreal,” said Freitas.
Cleveland Fire said the fire spread to two nearby homes and damaged vehicles. The estimated damage the arson caused is more than $700,000. The home was so severely damaged that its demolition was requested.
A person of interest has been identified, and investigators are "working the case," Cleveland Fire said. No one is in custody at this time.
While Freitas and Li are searching for a new home, they’re still trying to grasp the last 48 hours; though they survived, their dog didn’t. Initially, they thought they lost their cat in the fire, but it was later found alive.
The family has been comforted by the community.
“For one act of evil, there's a lot more acts of good and the same way that I felt overwhelmed by that terror. I feel so much more overwhelmed by the love of the people that have showed up,” said Freitas.
Along with the fact that they’re still alive.
“You came naked into this world, and that's true, everything else. We're just building it up, and we have each other, and I think that's all that matters,” said Freitas.
If you would like to donate to their GoFundMe, CLICK HERE.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the Fire Investigation Unit at 216-664-6380. A $2,500 reward is available for information leading to an arrest and successful prosecution of the arsonist.
Earlier this month, the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau announced it was investigating a series of arsons set across Cuyahoga and Lake counties back in March.
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