WDIV
Reprinted with Permission

DETROIT - The mother of a 2-year-old boy who died Saturday night in a house fire said she believes another family member's ex-boyfriend intentionally set the fire out of jealousy


Chantey Anderson said her son, Jasiah McCollins, died of smoke inhalation after their home on the 9900 block of Winthrop Street went up in flames.

Anderson said her sister, Loretta Smith, told her she had been in an argument with her ex-boyfriend but never expected such a violent outcome.

Anderson said her 18-year-old niece, Jessica Anderson, was baby-sitting her son and another 4-year-old cousin while she went out to a block party Saturday evening.

Jessica Anderson said after she put the toddler to bed, she and the 4-year-old fell asleep on the couch around 11 p.m.

"I heard a boom and then glass breaking," Jessica Anderson said.

Jessica Anderson said she was jolted awake and ran upstairs to get the toddler but was overcome by smoke and confronted by a man she recognized as her mom's ex-boyfriend.

She said he had a gun and ordered her out of the house with the 4-year-old.

"He was screaming, 'Get down! Get down," she said. "I was panicking, like, I have to get the baby upstairs but he was like, "Get down! Get out!' with the gun."

Firefighters who arrived at the scene a short time later were unable to rescue the toddler.

"I got here to fire trucks. When I pulled up on the scene my baby was already gone," Chantey Anderson said. "I would hope and pray that you would step up and turn yourself in. You took a baby out of this world."

Her other 7-year-old son was not at home during the fire.

Detroit police and fire officials are calling the fire suspicious but have not named anyone responsible.

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