CLEVELAND — Two men have been indicted and charged with several felonies in connection to a recent arson in Cleveland.
On April 21, a family of three, including a 17-month-old baby, escaped their home just after 2 a.m. after it had been deliberately set on fire. The couple who owned the house along with their child were able to escape unharmed, but their dog died in the fire.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office indicted 21-year-old Tyric Green and 22-year-old D’Andre Morris on charges related to the incident. Both have pleaded not guilty. Their bonds were set at $350,000 with a pretrial hearing set for both at 9 a.m. on May 8.
In the days after the arson, it was revealed that the couple were landlords to Green's grandmother.
“Mr. Green lit fire to his grandmother’s landlord’s house at 2 a.m. while three innocent people slept inside, including a 7-month-old baby,” said Prosecutor O’Malley. “It is a miracle that this family was not killed or seriously injured. My thoughts and prayers remain with them for the loss of their home, their personal possessions, and their family dog Salami. We will hold these two individuals accountable.”
According to a media release, Green's grandmother gave rent funds to him to give to the landlord. However the landlord never received the funds. This went on for three months. When Green's grandmother was contacted about the non-payments, Green allegedly forged a deposit statement from the bank claiming the funds had been deposited.
Green and Morris were charged with the following:
- Six counts of Attempted Murder
- 10 counts of Aggravated Arson
- Four counts of Attempted Aggravated Arson
- Two counts of Arson
- Two counts of Cruelty To Companion Animals
- Two counts of Forgery
- One count of Possessing Criminal Tools
An arraignment date has not been set at this time.
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