Ex-boyfriend of the girls' mother accused of setting apartment on fire
Girls escape Detroit apartment fire by jumping out of window
Two girls were forced to jump out of their fifth floor apartment window to escape a fire caused by a man with a history of arson, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Security footage captured two young girls jumping from the fifth floor of a Detroit apartment building after their mom's ex-boyfriend allegedly set it on fire.
The video shows unidentified neighbors standing next to a mattress laid out on the sidewalk prior to raising their arms to catch an 8-year-old girl who successfully made it out.
The girl then looked up at the building, where her sister and mother remained trapped before throwing clothes onto the mattress to cushion their fall.
The 14-year-old sister jumped out next, but landed so hard that she broke both her ankles and a wrist, FOX 2 Detroit reported. She is expected to make a full recovery.
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Three neighbors can be seen catching the 8-year-old girl, who jumped from the apartment's fifth floor. (Detroit Police Department)
The mother was rescued by firefighters who used a ladder. Her ex-boyfriend, 43-year-old Marion Scruggs, is accused of setting the apartment on fire.
Security cameras inside caught a man believed to be Scruggs dousing the outside of the apartment door with gasoline, lighting a cigarette and then using it to light it on fire.
"This person tried to kill not just the whole family, but any and everybody that was in that building," Detroit Police Chief James White told FOX 2.
Detroit police arrested 43-year-old Marion Scruggs for allegedly starting the fire at his ex-girlfriend's apartment. (Detroit Police Department / FOX 2 Detroit)
The 14-year-old girl landed so hard that she broke both ankles and a wrist, according to FOX 2 Detroit. (Detroit Police Department)
Scruggs was taken into custody within 24 hours of the incident. He reportedly has a history of domestic violence. In 2019, he was charged for purposely lighting a girlfriend's home on fire, trapping her dogs inside and killing one of them. It is not known if it was the same victim involved in the apartment fire.
Online records show Scruggs is currently in custody on charges of first-degree home invasion, first-degree arson and assault with intent to murder, with bail set at $1 million. His next court date is set for Wednesday.
As for the good Samaritans who helped the sisters jump out of the apartment window, city officials are trying to find out who they are, so they can recognize them.
"You know some people don't need the attention or the accolades, but we want to show them that not only are firefighters, EMTs and police officers are heroes, but even citizens out there in the neighborhood – they're heroes as well," Commissioner Charles Simms of the Detroit Fire Department said.
