Union County family escapes house fire; community rallies to help rebuild
A Union County family is safe but lost everything in a house fire investigators say started with an air compressor and now, neighbors are stepping in to support them as they start over.
ALSO READ: Union County family's home catches fire months after kids hit by truck
Channel 9's Erika Jackson spoke with the family as they get support from neighbors along Haden Drive off New Town Road near Waxhaw.
The Union County Fire Marshal ruled it an accident.
Investigators believe an air compressor was plugged into one car, pumping air into a tire on a pickup truck, which started the fire.
Everything the Robinsons own is gone.
'Material things can be replaced but someone's life can't,' said Veronica Robinson.
Robinson sees beyond the damage.
'All I can think about is my mom,' she said. 'All I can think about is her. What if I lost her?'
Robinson said she was in her bathroom Monday morning when she heard a visiting family member banging on the door.
'I saw that the flames were starting to jump onto the house,' Robinson said. 'And when I [had] seen that, I immediately ran back in the house, ran to that room right there, and got my mom out.'
Robinson said her daughter-in-law helped her oxygen-dependent father escape.
He's recovering in a hospital as her family works to figure out what's next.
'I'd be completely lost if it wasn't for the community coming together and just helping any way they can anyway,' Robinson said.
She credits her neighbor, Kristen Marcum, for calling 911 and coordinating donations through a GoFundMe account.
Robinson said she was reminded of what she does have.
'This has really taught me what paying it forward means and just taught me to slow down and smell the roses,' she said.
The Red Cross is helping them with temporary housing.
She's waiting for her renters and car insurance to come through.
GoFundMe for the Robinsons
VIDEO: Dilworth fire that led to explosion set intentionally
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Milwaukee killer Maxwell Anderson played Netflix series with mutilation the night he killed Sade Robinson, juror says
The jury that convicted 34-year-old Maxwell Anderson June 6 in the killing and dismemberment of 19-year-old Sade Robinson took less than an hour to render a decision and were informed of new evidence once the trial concluded. "Everyone agreed pretty early on in the morning that he was guilty," juror Melissa Blascoe said. Most of the short time in the jury room was spent looking meticulously at the law to decide whether to convict him of first-degree intentional homicide or first-degree reckless homicide, she said. Anderson was found guilty on all counts: intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson. Blascoe, a 33-year-old social worker, said it was revealed in post-trial meeting with the prosecution that on the night of Robinson's murder, Anderson turned on the Netflix series "Love, Death & Robots" while Robinson was inside the home. During the final episode of volume two of the animated series, a corpse is dismembered on a beach. The prosecution believes Anderson dismembered Robinson on a small beach at Warnimont Park in Cudahy. "I was like, oh, ... that's disgusting because that could have been where he got some of his ideas or fantasies," Blascoe said. A "turning point" in the case for Blascoe was the last day of testimony, June 5, when jurors were shown disturbing and graphic images of Robinson inside Anderson's home that were deleted from the phone. "That was pretty damning evidence that shook everyone," she said. "I physically felt like I was gonna throw up at that point. I know a lot of people were shaking and crying." Blascoe said it was the turning point for her because "that was really the first time they put Sade at his house and we could physically see that. It put the nail in his coffin, so to say." Blascoe described how before that moment the prosecution team, led by Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, were showing jurors grainy or darkened footage in the early morning hours that didn't clearly show Anderson driving Robinson's car before torching it outside an abandoned home on the city's north side. "There was just a lot of video footage and a lot of it didn't make sense because he was just making circles around the city and probably just kind of panicking," Blascoe said. Blascoe felt the prosecution did their job of proving intent to kill Robinson, noting a graphic photo of Anderson holding Robinson's right breast as she lay incapacitated. Robinson's right breast is among her body parts that haven't been recovered. "This is his trophy in a way," Blascoe said of Anderson. "Those pictures will be in my mind for quite some time." As Blascoe sat in the courtroom for two weeks after being called for jury duty, which was the case for 14 other people, she was vaguely familiar with the case after seeing it in the news in April 2024, but hadn't followed it closely since then. She didn't think she was going to be picked after revealing during jury selection that she previously worked for Child Protective Services and dealt with Children's Court often. Blascoe said jurors grew anxious after hearing the extreme nature of the crime. "I don't think anyone was ready to see the defendant at the table," she said. There was way more agreement than dissent amongst the jury for the 45 minutes they discussed the case, she said. It was mainly following the jury instructions and the law, Blascoe said, adding that everyone got a chance to speak and ask questions. "I feel I can walk away with a clean conscience," she added. "If anything, I'm walking away from this experience just knowing that there's good humans out there." In addition to meeting with Judge Laura Crivello after the trial, the jurors also met the prosecution and defense teams where evidence was discussed that wasn't presented at trial. As the jurors departed the post-trial meetings, they didn't receive a definite answer on why Anderson killed Robinson. "It was like speculative," Blascoe said. "Obviously, there was some planning that went into this." Anderson will be sentenced Aug. 15. He faces a mandatory life sentence, but part of that could be extended supervision. Crivello will make the final decision. The Journal Sentinel also reached out to several other jurors and have not yet heard back. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Maxwell Anderson played Netflix show the night he killed Sade Robinson
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Search for Travis Decker; man accused of killing 3 young daughters
The Brief There's a new plea to track down Travis Decker. Decker is the Pewaukee native accused of killing his three young daughters in Washington State. In a phone conversation, Decker's former father-in-law in Lake Geneva pleaded, "I want Travis Decker found." PEWAUKEE, Wis. - Police are looking for a Pewaukee native accused of killing his three children in Washington State. What we know On Thursday, June 5, investigators in Washington State urged homeowners in five remote counties to lock their doors. Trails and parks are now closed to the public. It is all part of the search for Travis Decker. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Deputies announced a $20,000 cash reward for any information leading to Decker's arrest. What they're saying "Our primary goal is to track him down," said Michael Morrison, Chelan County Sheriff in Washington State. "We have been in touch with agencies across the nation and tracking down leads – we are aware of the connections he has." Decker is a Pewaukee native. He graduated from Pewaukee High School. Decker was a wrestler while attending the school. His brother told FOX6 News Decker graduated in 2010. Dig deeper In a phone conversation on Friday, June 6, Decker's former father-in-law in Lake Geneva pleaded, "I want Travis Decker found." A former Army squad mate told our Seattle affiliate that Decker was an "outcast" and a "narcissist." A GoFundMe to help the children's mother, Whitney, cover expenses and legal costs has surpassed $1 million. Investigators say Decker kidnapped his three daughters last Friday. On Monday, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evenlyn and 9-year-old Paityn were found dead at the Rock Island Campground outside of Leavenworth, Washington. Investigators say the preliminary cause of death for each was asphyxiation. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Decker lived out of his truck. The vehicle was found, but there is no sign of him. "Ultimately, he will be brought to justice," Morrison said. The Source The information in this post was provided by law enforcement in Washington State as well as persons familiar with Travis Decker.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Maxwell Anderson verdict, push for task force on missing Black women
The Brief A jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson. According to Columbia researchers, Black women in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2020 were 20x more likely to be murdered than white women. State Rep. Shelia Stubbs wants to create a task force to address that. MILWAUKEE - A jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson on Friday. Robinson's mother now looks to lawmakers for help, wanting the state to set up a task force on missing and murdered Black women. By the numbers Columbia researchers found Black women in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2020 were 20x more likely to be murdered than white women. The researchers said that was the worst disparity in the country. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What they're saying For four years, Wisconsin Representative Shelia Stubbs urged the state to set up a special task force on missing and murdered Black women and girls. The group would be made up of police, survivors, attorneys, and victims' rights experts. It would look into what leads to violence against these people, and the task force would have to give recommendations on how to stop it. The Wisconsin State Assembly passed Stubbs' bill in 2024, but it stalled in the Senate. On Friday, Stubbs joined Sade Robinson's mother and family in court and then spoke with FOX6 News. "We need the state to pass this legislation. We couldn't save Sade, but we have a chance to save somebody else. And that's what I stand here today. With this verdict, I stand here with the family. And it's the right verdict," said Rep. Stubbs. Stubbs said the guilty verdict motivates her to rally her fellow lawmakers to make her bill a law. It's had bipartisan support. The governor has supported it, too. His budget proposal even included money for this proposed task force. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley "My thoughts are with the family, the friends, and the community of Sade Robinson who are deserving of our continued support. Regardless of today's verdict, real justice is living in a world where Sade Robinson is still alive and her killer never had the chance to take her life. As a husband and father, I can't imagine the pain, anger, and grief that Sade's loved ones are carrying. It's my hope that the Robinson family can rest tonight knowing that Sade's killer will be held accountable. Looking ahead, we all must recommit ourselves to protecting the lives of innocent women – particularly Black and Brown women – and working towards a community where everyone is safe from violence." The backstory Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson of property other than a building. He is accused of killing Robinson after a date, dismembering her and dumping her body parts across Milwaukee County. One of her arms was later found on an Illinois beach. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Prosecutors said Anderson and Robinson showed up at a Menomonee Valley bar on April 1, 2024 – the night she was last seen or heard from. The next day, Robinson's burned-out car was found near 30th and Lisbon in Milwaukee. Surveillance photos show a man investigators believe is Anderson walking away from the area, and who was later seen on a bus heading back towards his home on the city's south side. Anderson had planned to kill Robinson weeks before her death, according to a statement from a "confidential informant" noted in court filings FOX6 News obtained. A search warrant also revealed prosecutors believe Anderson tried to cover up Robinson's death with a text message. Dig deeper FOX6 News is streaming the entire Anderson trial each day on FOX LOCAL. The app is free to download on your phone, tablet or smart TV. Day 9: Jury finds Anderson guilty of killing, dismembering Robinson Day 8: Closing arguments made, jury deliberations begin Day 7: Sade Robinson killed; mapping path of Robinson's car Day 6: Jurors get look inside Anderson's home; see clothing Day 5: Testimony provided our first look at Anderson's arrest Open Record: Maxwell Anderson trial Day 4: Video from Milwaukee, discovery of Sade Robinson's remains Day 3: Testimony resumes; law enforcement, friends of Sade Robinson take stand Day 2: Opening statements, testimony begins Day 1: Jury selected in single day Sade Robinson homicide: Timeline of events leading to criminal charges Sade Robinson homicide: Parents navigate grief ahead of trial Sade Robinson homicide: The psychology behind the murder Sade Robinson homicide: Lasting legacy, from tragedy to advocacy Open Record: A Date With Death The Source FOX6 News was in court for the Anderson trial. Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court, and prior FOX6 coverage of the case.
