SHORELINE, Wash. — The gravity of the near-fatal situation is hitting home for 72-year-old April Brown.
"I was in bed, asleep," Brown said, fighting back tears, on May 14. "I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just in bed asleep and someone wanted me to die in a fire."
Police released video of the crime from the woman's home security system that shows the entire incident. They're hoping the public can identify the man before someone is seriously hurt or killed.
Surveillance video shows the suspect nonchalantly spraying down the woman's home and car with some sort of fuel in the 1600 block of North 183rd Street in Shoreline.
It's in the early morning hours last Friday, May 10, before sun rises.
"He squirts my bedroom knowing that I'm in there. The TV was on. He squirts my bedroom knowing I'm in there! That's kind of disturbing," said Brown.
In moments the house is lit up, the front door on fire, with Brown just a few feet away. She said neighbors alerted her to the situation and helped her escape.
"I feel like my neighbors saved my life," Brown said.
Fortunately, whatever was used to set the fire didn't work very well because damage was minor, but Brown's fear for her life is major.
Brown said she can't understand why anyone would do this to her. She said she wonders if the suspect may be a landscaper because instead of a gasoline can, the suspect appeared very comfortable using a common garden sprayer to soak down her home.
Now however, she said she just wants to feel safe when she goes to bed at night.
"There's been a lot of crying. My friends are feeling sad for me. My family is worried sick. My son is worried sick. My neighbors are worried. Everybody is worried," said Brown. "... A complete stranger wants me dead."
Shoreline police are still looking for a motive in the arson. A police official declined to comment for this story, citing an "open and active investigation."
Anyone with information is asked to contact police directly at 206-263-2090 or 206-296-3311. People can also email information to mcutips@kingcounty.gov.