Neighbor kills man who attacked woman after setting her house on fire, police say

HOUSTON – A neighbor came to the rescue of a woman Thursday who was being attacked after her house was set on fire by a man who she had argued with earlier, police said.

The fire was reported about 10 a.m. near the corner of East 35th and Arlington streets.

Detective Jerry Young, of the Houston Police Department, said a man and a woman who lives at the home got into an argument earlier Thursday. She called for help, but by the time officers arrived, the man was gone, Young said.

Young said the man returned later and threw a lit accelerant through one of the windows of the home. He then chased the woman down and began attacking her with a sharp object, Young said.

Residents of the home said the woman who was stabbed was staying there with her boyfriend, Kelvin Pope, who is the nephew of the homeowner.

"The lady that I had in the house staying with me, called me at 8 o'clock this morning and told me that some man was trying to break into the house," Pope said.

According to Young and Pope, a neighbor saw what was going on and ran over to help the woman. He shot and killed the woman’s attacker in the backyard, Young said.

Someone who lives in the area reported hearing several shots before smelling gunpowder.

Young said the woman and her attacker were acquainted, but the nature of their relationship was not yet clear.

The woman was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition, Young said.

The identities of neither the woman nor her attacker were immediately released.

For Deraiyon West, the home was where he grew up.

"A lot of memories ... a lot of dreams," West said. "It's time we come together and try to keep strong."