FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Fort Lauderdale man is living in fear after police say an unknown assailant attempted to burn down his home last weekend while he and his family were asleep.
Authorities said the alleged arsonist was caught on surveillance video dousing the Fort Lauderdale home with some sort of substance and police are now searching for the culprit.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. Sunday at a residence off Northwest 16th Avenue and Ninth Street, near Joseph Carter Park.
The father of two, who has chosen to remain anonymous out of fear, described the terror of being awakened by the sound of flames.
“My kids would’ve got burned up and then my next-door neighbor. It’s two kids over there. They would’ve got burned up,” he said.
“We would’ve been in a deep sleep; everybody probably would’ve died,” the victim told Local 10 News in a phone interview from out of state.
The victim says he doesn’t recognize the culprit captured on the video and has never seen him before.
The father recounted how the arsonist struck over the weekend while the family was asleep.
Alerted by the popping sounds of the fire, the father was able to call 911 before the flames could engulf the entire home.
The victim said this is not the first time the family has been targeted.
He claims the family’s car was also set on fire a few weeks ago.
The repeated attacks have left the man feeling unsafe and forced him to leave Florida.
“I don’t feel safe no more there,” the father said. “I’m not even in Florida because I’m scared. I can’t even sleep no more; I’m up all night.”
Fort Lauderdale police Detective Ali Adamson said the department’s investigation “is active and on-going.”
Anyone with information about the culprit or the attacks is asked to call the Fort Lauderdale Police Department or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.