Family of Six Escapes Arson Attack in Texas

Last Tuesday, a family of six, including a one-year-old child, nearly lost their home after an arsonist set their porch on fire while they were sleeping inside. Security footage revealed the terrifying incident, showing the attacker pouring gasoline around the house before igniting it.

The family was at home in Midlothian when, around 1 a.m., their 21-year-old daughter, Malia Rivera, noticed the motion-activated lights turn on. She went downstairs to check and saw flames threatening to come through the living room window. She immediately called 911 and woke her parents, Darryl Wilson and Wahsheida, who hurried to extinguish the flames with water and pots and pans.

Images from security cameras captured a hooded individual dousing the porch with gasoline before rushing away. The family later reviewed footage showing a man in a sweatshirt dumping gasoline and fleeing the scene.

Emergency crews successfully put out the fire, and all residents were unharmed, but the family remains deeply shaken. Wahsheida expressed outrage at the attacker, condemning the act as an attempt to cause harm and loss of life. The family is now on high alert, taking turns watching over the house using security cameras, as they continue to seek safety and peace of mind.

Mylah Rivera, the family’s daughter, is especially worried about her child and stressed the importance of her sister being awake to alert them during the fire. As they sleep in shifts to stay vigilant, they are determined to find the suspect who targeted their home, especially after witnessing the attacker’s reckless disregard for the lives inside.

“My kids don’t want to stay. My wife doesn’t want to stay. They’re traumatized,” said Darryl, expressing the family’s sense of helplessness and desire for justice. They hope the individual responsible — described as a “sociopath” — will be caught and held accountable for putting their lives at such risk.