Ex-boyfriend sets home on fire as family of four slept inside, Michigan cops say

An 18-year-old man is accused of setting his ex’s home on fire as a family of four was sleeping inside, Michigan authorities say.

Cameron Spencer, of Central Lake, now faces eight felony charges following the Nov. 24 incident in Maple Forest Township, according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.

A child woke up the adults a couple of hours before the fire, telling them they heard “strange noises” in the home and saw a person hiding inside, the sheriff said. When the adults investigated, they were unable to find anyone and the family went back to bed.

At around 3:30 a.m., the child again woke up the other three members of the household, this time saying the house was on fire, according to a news release.

As the family escaped the burning home without injury, they saw someone running away from the house, the sheriff’s office said.

That person was determined to be Spencer, who had previously dated someone in the home, according to investigators.

He was identified with help from the Antrim County Sheriff’s Office, which said Spencer was involved in a car crash earlier in the day, Crawford County authorities said.

Spencer was charged with malicious destruction of property, arson, home invasion and four counts of attempted murder, according to the sheriff.

Photos show the home had been burnt down, and investigators said it was a total loss. A motive for the incident is unclear.

Crawford County is about a 155-mile drive northeast from Grand Rapids.

This story was originally published November 27, 2024 at 8:41 AM with the headline "Ex-boyfriend sets home on fire as family of four slept inside, Michigan cops say."