Midlothian family targeted in arson attack as surveillance reveals chilling act
"I was shocked. I'm like, this can't be real. Who would do this?" Wahsheida Wilson said. "Like, we keep to ourselves."
The family — six adults and two children — was sleeping early Tuesday morning when they said someone targeted their home around 1 a.m.
Darryl Wilson said his 21-year-old daughter tried to wake him. At first, he didn't understand what was happening.
"She came running in there, and she said, 'The house is on fire,'" he said. "I looked at her. I said, 'Okay, I'm dreaming.' I laid back down. She grabbed me — 'No. No. The house is on fire.'"
The 52-year-old said he initially grabbed two cups to douse the flames on the front porch of his brick home. He then began grabbing pots and told his daughters to call emergency crews.
Amid the chaos, his wife checked their home security system. She was stunned to see a hooded figure pouring gasoline on their home, setting it on fire, and running away.
"Your intentions when you came and threw gas on the house and lit that fire. Your intentions was to kill us," she said. "Like, you have no soul. You're a heartless person."
Midlothian police confirmed an arson investigation is underway at the Wilsons' home. Authorities said they have leads.
Wilson's daughter, Mylah Rivera, 25, said she's been analyzing the video repeatedly, hoping to find a clue. She posted it to social media, where it received a strong response.
Still, Rivera said she doesn't feel safe living in a home where a fire erupted without warning. She's especially concerned for her 1-year-old daughter.
"I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Rivera said. "I have a one-year-old daughter. And it's, like, you know, what if my sister wasn't up and witnessed this and it would have got worse, you know?"
Rivera shudders at the thought that her active daughter plays near the area where the fire burned. Now, the charred porch, garage, and other fire damage serve as daily reminders of their vulnerability.
"We're on rotation, just staying up at night. Looking out the windows, looking on the camera. We're on rotation," Wahsheida Wilson said. "Someone sleeps, someone gets up to be on watch."
No one was injured in the fire.
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