A report says a man set a fire that caused a fatality at a Red Bank quadraplex after he banged on the door and no one would let him in.
Christopher Wehunt, 33, of 133 Goodson Avenue, Red Bank, was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated arson, felony reckless endangerment, felony vandalism, and two counts of reckless aggravated assault.
The blaze on Thanksgiving morning claimed the life of 51-year-old Dewey Lee Rose.
Tisha Igou and her daughter said they were in bed asleep at 4:30 a.m. when someone knocked at their door. She said the man came back a second time and was talking about his cat.
She said he yelled, "I will take ya'll down. I will get you (N word)."
Ms. Igou said after he started hitting the side of the house that she went outside and yelled that she was calling the police.
She said a minute later she looked out and saw Wehunt walking outside. She said they went back to bed, but when her daughter got up to smoke a cigarette she said she smelled something. They then found their laundry room on fire.
Michelle Rose said Wehunt also knocked on her door. She said her husband, Dewey Rose, then told Wehunt it was disrespectful to be knocking on doors that early. She said that "set him off." She said she gave Wehunt a blanket to keep him warm.
She said after she closed the door she could hear Wehunt flicking a cigarette lighter. She said she later heard the residents under her yelling for Wehunt to leave.
Ms. Rose said she later smelled smoke and heard Wehunt yell, "F--- all ya'll. I'm burning all ya'll up."
She said as the fire burned she yelled at her husband, "Here's the window," and she then jumped from the second floor. But she said her husband did not make it out.
Five people were in the building at the time.
The damage was $92,000.