10 families homeless after man allegedly attacks girlfriend, sets fire to Middletown apartment

A total of 10 families are homeless after a man allegedly started a fire at a Middletown condominium complex Monday night.

News 12 Staff

May 18, 2021, 10:11 AM

Updated 1,242 days ago

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A total of 10 families are homeless after a man allegedly started a fire at a Middletown condominium complex Monday night.
Jason Doolittle, a father of two, wasn't home when the fire broke out at his Buttonwood Hills apartment, but his camera captured the chaos that followed. That video appears to show the suspect, identified as Larry Hickmon Jr., at one point on the phone saying, "Yo, I burned the house down, it's on fire right now."
Doolittle is currently staying at a nearby hotel with his daughters due to the fire. He says he has no idea what their plan is once help from the Red Cross runs out.
Doolittle also claims that the 39-year-old Hickmon yelled out a confession.
"He came out from the flames like 'Yea, I did it and what? Anyone got a problem? I did it,'" he says.
At about 7:30 p.m. Monday, police say Hickmon attacked his girlfriend and then set fire to their Buttonwood Hills apartment with three young children inside - who had to be rescued.
No one was seriously hurt in the fire, including Doolittle's 15-year-old daughter who was home. At one point, the dad's Ring Doorbell camera captured the suspect knocking on the door, but they are not sure why.
"I'm just thankful my daughter wasn't there to answer the door and come face to face with the guy," says Doolittle.
His daughter had already gotten out safely after hearing the screams of neighbors. He says now all they have left are the clothes on their backs.
"We didn't have renter's insurance. Lesson learned. I didn't have it, so I really don't know where to go from here," he says.
A family member has started a GoFundMe for the dad and his kids. There is also a GoFundMe for another neighbor who also lost everything in the fire. A GoFundMe has also been started for the victim in Monday night's domestic-violence attack and arson.