Arson victims say the same man tried to burn their Hamtramck home down twice

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (FOX 2) - A family in Hamtramck is speaking out after their house was set on fire not once, but twice.

"It was horrific. No one wants to see their home being on fire," said the victim who lives there. "We check the camera and realize it’s the same guy."

Police want the public to take a close look at the man caught on camera before he returns to terrorize the family again.

"We don’t recognize who it is in the footage that’s what we’re desperately seeking help for," she said.

The family does not want to be identified but they say their security camera caught this man in the act last January at their house - and then again on March 13th.

In both cases, the suspect comes during the early morning hours and his MO is the same - but in the most recent incident, he appeared to injure himself. His arm or wrist appeared to catch on fire.

"He comes he has Styrofoam cup, it’s a gas tank filled with gasoline," she said. "This year he put a lot on the house like the explosion was much bigger and both times it could have burned down."

No one from the family was injured in either fire, but the emotional scars caused by the terrifying act keeps them up at night, she said.

"We don’t lay her head down at night my mom, my brother, my little brother even, he’s constantly up," she said. "No one can sleep."

The family believes they know why the fires are being said at their home.

"We do suspect that it’s someone else that we knew behind this, an ex-family friend who we did confront for fraud because he stole whatever he could from us

The family believes that former family friend sent the person you see on video, who set the fires.

"We could’ve burned down," she said. "Luckily, by the grace of God, we woke up and set it out."

If you have information that can help investigators track down this suspect contact Hamtramck police at 313-800-5281.

"We just need help finding whoever this is," she said.