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Background: News footage of the scene in Milwaukee, Wis., on Jan. 5 (WISN). Inset (left): Gladys Johnson-Ball (GoFundMe). Inset (right): Cameron Washington during his court appearance on Jan. 11 (WITI).
A tragic incident unfolded in Wisconsin when a young man allegedly set fire to the home of his pregnant girlfriend’s family. The suspect has been identified as Cameron Washington, aged 21.
Washington faces serious charges, including arson, five counts of reckless endangerment, and intentionally pointing a firearm at someone. These charges stem from a devastating house fire that erupted on the night of January 5. Tragically, his 22-year-old girlfriend, Gladys Johnson-Ball, did not survive the incident. According to a criminal complaint examined by Law & Crime, Johnson-Ball, who was five months pregnant, sustained multiple injuries to her arms, neck, and face.
Law & Crime also reported that Washington is the father of Johnson-Ball’s 3-year-old daughter and her unborn child. Authorities suspect that the young girl may have witnessed the harrowing events that unfolded that night.
The criminal complaint details how Johnson-Ball’s mother discovered her daughter unconscious on her bed amidst the blaze. Heroically, she managed to carry her daughter out of the burning home in an attempt to save her. Despite receiving immediate medical attention, Johnson-Ball was pronounced dead shortly after midnight. Washington, who allegedly fled the scene, was apprehended nearby with a lighter reportedly found in his pants pocket.
First responders noted several injuries on Johnson-Ball, including bruising, redness on her arms, neck, shoulders, and face, a bloody nose, and petechiae in her left eye, as detailed in the complaint.
When police spoke to Johnson-Ball’s mother, Michelle Johnson, she told them that the last time she saw her daughter alive was at 11 a.m. on Jan. 5. The family said they thought it was unusual that they had not seen Johnson-Ball for the whole day. That night, after getting a food delivery at 8:40 p.m., family members started knocking on Johnson-Ball’s bedroom door, but Washington would not let anyone inside or talk to Johnson-Ball.
In an interview with local Fox affiliate WITI, Johnson said Washington was “blocking the door, like ‘No, you [are] not getting in here.’”
Police spoke to Johnson-Ball’s sister, who said she made several attempts to speak to Johnson-Ball throughout the day. After 9 p.m., Washington came out of the bedroom and told Johnson-Ball’s sister, “Please be quiet, Mommy’s sleeping” while he had a “concerned facial expression.” At some point in the evening, Washington “pretended to speak” to Johnson-Ball while inside the room, but family members did not hear her respond. According to the complaint, Washington told the family that Johnson-Ball was “sleeping and should not be woken up.”
Johnson eventually told Washington to leave the home, which she told police “upset” him. He then allegedly took out a gun and pointed it at several family members. They ran away, and Johnson told police she “barricaded” herself in her bedroom. She said by the way Washington was handling the gun, it did not appear that he knew how to use it.
As Johnson was calling the police, she allegedly smelled smoke. She then saw Washington running out the front door.
A detective who was at the scene said Johnson-Ball was “cold to the touch” and could have been dead for hours. An autopsy revealed several injuries and signs of asphyxia, but did not yield a cause or manner of death.
Washington appeared in court on Sunday and a judge set his bond at $200,000. He has not been charged in connection with Johnson-Ball’s death. He is currently in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.