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 Wisconsin man who was living with his pregnant girlfriend's family when he allegedly set their house on fire has been identified.
Cameron Washington, 21, was charged with arson, five counts of reckless endangerment, and intentionally pointing a firearm at a person in connection with a house fire that occurred on the night of Jan. 5. Washington's girlfriend, 22-year-old Gladys Johnson-Ball, was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. In a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, Johnson-Ball, who was five months pregnant, also had several injuries to her arms, neck, and face.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Washington was the father of Johnson-Ball's 3-year-old daughter and her unborn son. Police believe the little girl was a witness to what happened to her mother.
Police wrote in the criminal complaint that Johnson-Ball's mother had found her lying unconscious on her bed in her bedroom and carried her out of the house to save her from the fire. Lifesaving measures were provided to Johnson-Ball, who was pronounced dead minutes after midnight. Washington allegedly fled the scene, but was found by police a short distance away. When he was found, he allegedly had a lighter in his pants pocket.
According to the complaint, first responders observed several injuries on Johnson-Ball, including "bruising and redness" on her arms, neck, shoulders, and face, and a bloody nose. She also had petechiae in her left eye.
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.
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