Man arrested after puppy dies in Monroe apartment fire

MONROE, Mich. (WJBK) - A 25-year-old man is under arrest after a fire at a Monroe apartment building. No one was hurt but a Husky puppy could not be saved.

"She's like, 'The house is on fire!' This lady, she's like, 'Get your kids dressed!' I was like freaking out like, oh my God," says neighbor Christina Jarvis. She and her family are finally coming back home after being forced to stay in a hotel for the past two nights.

Around 5 p.m. on Friday, a fire broke out at the adjoining apartment in the 200 block of West Willow in Monroe. That's when she ran out of her house with her 7- and 1-year-old sons -- and nothing else.

"Honestly, I feel invaded by somebody coming in my neighborhood and starting a fire. That really bothers me," says neighbor Scott Fanslaw.

We're told the ex-boyfriend of one of the women who lived in the apartment next to Christina's was seen leaving moments before the fire was found. A cat was able to get out and ran up a nearby tree. A puppy trapped inside was not as fortunate, though.

It's a series of events that has Christina emotional days later, and her son who has autism traumatized from what he saw.

"He knew we were home; he knew I had kids. I don't know what that man was thinking. You're not punishing her; you're punishing me and her. I hope he gets what he deserves," she says.

Police did find that 25-year-old suspect a short time later and arrested him. He is currently in the Monroe County Jail on home invasion charges. More charges will likely follow as arson investigators continue to look into the apartment fire.