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First responders in Orange County were dispatched to the Buttonwood Hills Condominiums, in Middletown, on Concord Lane at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 17, where there was a report of a fire that broke out in the complex.
Officials said that a man allegedly assaulted his girlfriend during the domestic dispute, then set their home on fire with children inside the residence at the time.
Witnesses said that there was a bang, and then flames started spreading before a man jumped from the balcony of the condo and into the woods.
According to reports, neighbors went after the arson suspect, who was ultimately tracked down in the woods by police following a pursuit. Three small children were reportedly also thrown over a second-story balcony to Good Samaritans to escape the spreading flames.
The fire rapidly spread, causing the fire department to issue three alarms, forcing neighbors to evacuate their own condos and displacing 10 families whose units were severely damaged.
Injuries were reported to at least one firefighter, one police officer, and the girlfriend involved in the domestic incident. One cat died in the fire.
Information about the arrest and charges against the boyfriend was not immediately available.
Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano said that an arson investigation is underway.
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