Cleveland Family stunned after arsonist burns home to ground; Police still searching for suspect

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A family is devastated after investigators say someone intentionally set their house on fire in the middle of the night.

“Who would do that to someone? Try to kill my whole family in our sleep with our 7-month-old baby? In a fire? It’s sickening,” said Felipe Freitas.

Freitas and Cecelia Li tell 19 News they’re still traumatized but grateful to be alive after their home went up in flames.

“I woke up by an act of God, saw flames outside our bedroom window and screamed, ‘Felipe, the house is on fire!’ He ran downstairs, tried to put it out. It went so fast, I picked up our baby, tried to go downstairs and the wall of smoke was so thick, it was like walking into a black cloud. I was choking, I couldn’t go downstairs,” said Li.

Li says she jumped from a second-floor window where Freitas caught her and their 7-month-old baby boy.

Sadly, they share that their pets, a dog and a cat named Salami and Evelyn, didn’t make it out of the home.

“They were the sweetest animals, they were the best friends, an absolute blessing and our son absolutely loved them,” said Li.

Cleveland Fire tells 19 News that when crews arrived to the home on w. 106th and Clifton Just after 2 a.m. Saturday, the fire had spread to two other houses in the neighborhood and two vehicles.

They estimate more than $700K in damages and for the house to be demolished.

“99 percent of everything in that house is irreplaceable, like one of a kind. The art, things we’ve kept for decades, that have been passed on for generations,” said Li. “Literally that night I was like, I got you [Felipe], I’ve got our son, that is all I have,” she said.

Investigators believe the cause of the fire is arson and the couple tells 19 News, they are stunned.

They’re hoping police get answers about the suspect and their case soon.

In the meantime, loved ones have wrapped their arms around the family with financial and emotional support.

“People can be really good and it’s like one person did something really evil to us but hundreds of people have done more and are doing so much good,” said Li.

Cleveland Police Department is investigating.

A $2,500 reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest.

Tips can be left by calling 216-664-6380.

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