Caught on camera: Man sets fire to Wisconsin home
By Kendall Keys
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WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (WISN) — Police in West Allis are investigating an arson after surveillance cameras captured a man setting fire to a house near 60th Street and Lincoln Avenue early Sunday.
The homeowner was not injured. She told WISN 12 News she hopes the video her cameras captured can help police track down the person who set her house on fire.
The video shows a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and Brewers bucket hat pouring what appears to be an accelerant on the side of Kaleigh Werra’s home. He then pulls out a lighter and sets the wall on fire.
“He starts pouring some kind of accelerant on the side of my house,” Werra said, “and then lights it on fire, almost lights himself on fire. And then he takes off running.”
Werra said she slept through the whole thing,
“I just want to thank the neighbor that drove past and saw the fire and stopped. He could have just kept going to work, and he made the choice to stop and call the police,” Werra said.
Werra’s camera shows that neighbor banging on her door, on the phone with 911. Police officers and firefighters showed up shortly after and extinguished the fire.
“It was just shocking. I really don’t understand why someone would do that,” Werra said.
Werra said she just moved back to the area last month after living out of state for 20 years.
“I don’t think it was directed towards me personally. I don’t know anybody in the city. I don’t know much in the state besides my family,” Werra said.
As of Monday morning, West Allis police have not arrested anyone.
“Obviously, I want this individual to be held accountable. I don’t want him to do it to anybody else. If it is just random, he clearly has the capability of doing something that violent,” Werra said. “I just wish somebody would recognize them and provide some information so we can get them over to the police.”
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