Milwaukee police are searching for a woman seen in a Facebook video intentionally setting a house fire that killed a 72-year-old man.
Cellphone video recorded Friday in Milwaukee’s north side showed an irate woman breaking the windows of a house near 12th and Wright. The shocking video showed the woman retrieving what appeared to be a gas can and asking a group of amused bystanders, “Hey! Somebody got a lighter?”
The woman is then seen pouring the gasoline through a broken window and setting it on fire. As witnesses began to scream, the woman is seen casually walking away. At one point, another woman is seen jumping out of a window and running away as the house became engulfed in flames.
Upon learning a man was still inside, a group of bystanders proceeded to kick down the front door, but the smoke overcame them. Willie Greer, 72, was killed in the fire, a local Fox affiliate reported.
“We all ran over there and tried to kick down the door, but all the smoke — nothing we could really do at that moment,” Jestopher Hinds said.
“I’m just sorry for the loss the people that did lose a family member. I’m going to be praying for their families and just sorry we couldn’t get them out of there at that time,” he said.
The family of the suspect told Fox that the arson was sparked by an altercation with the suspect’s boyfriend, who lived at the house but wasn’t there at the time of the crime.
The family said they have spoken to the suspect since Friday and have encouraged her to turn herself in.
Warning: Video contains graphic content:
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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