DETROIT – A man charged with two counts of murder in connection with an apartment fire that took the lives of a 31-year-old mother and her 4-year-old daughter was in court Friday.
Star Milligan and her daughter Mylah died after becoming trapped in their apartment during in the fire in the 9500 block of Brace Street in Detroit on Oct. 8. Milligan’s 7-year-old son, Mikell, was injured.
Police believe the fire was intentionally set by Dmarco Latham, 24, of Detroit. Police said he set the fire because he was mad at his girlfriend, who lived in the same complex as the Milligan and her children. Latham allegedly started the fire by setting clothing on a stove in his girlfriend’s apartment.
READ: DPD: Man arrested for allegedly causing fire that killed mother, child in apartment above
In court Friday, two witnesses said they heard Latham threaten to light the apartment on fire. Police said Latham had problems with the mother of his children, who lived in the same complex and Milligan and her children.
The mother of Latham’s children took the stand Friday. She was not inside the building when the fire started.