‘He could have killed us,’ rages homeowner whose neighbor destroyed his house – one phone call changed his life forever

A COLORADO couple was left homeless after fireworks hit their home.

Anthony Fox and his fiancée Nicole Betz arrived home to find their house was ruined after a hike on the 4th of July.

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The couple was walking their dog in a nearby park in Westminster, a suburb of Denver, when they received a frightening call from the fire department, local Fox affiliate, WHSV News reported.

Anthony said he could barely understand the call, but he heard the person on the other end say they were from the fire department.

He described the moment in a Description of GoFundMe“The reception was too poor to understand a complete sentence or for them to hear anything we said.”

The Colorado couple then said they ran down the mountain and called 911 to get more information about their home.

After discovering that their house was on fire, they rushed back with the dog, afraid that the cat was injured.

They told WHSV News that thankfully their cat Apollo was unharmed and a sheriff’s deputy successfully rescued him from the smoke.

The couple was informed that the fire was caused by their neighbor’s fireworks.

The neighbor allegedly set off fireworks between their houses and it hit his house.

“We have sections of roof and wall collapsing, with no front door or door frame, because [firefighters] I had to do this to look for survivors,” Anthony told the publication.

His neighbor, Gabriel Etsby Ocean, was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree arson.

First-degree arson is defined in Colorado as when a person knowingly sets fire to, burns, or damages, using an explosive device, any building or structure, in accordance with the Colorado State Government.

It is considered a class three felony.

“He could have killed us. He could have killed our pets and ruined our house because of some reckless kid,” Anthony said.

Ocean was later released from prison.

“This gentleman is accused of arson and is at home sleeping in his bed while we try to gather the remains of our house that he destroyed, [and we’re] sleeping in a hotel room,” Anthony added.

‘HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE’

According to the couple’s GoFundMe, they were placed in a hotel through The Victims Advocates at the Westminster Police Department.

Anthony said KDVR News“It’s a horrible experience. We can’t work. We’re out of the house.”

The couple explained on their GoFundMe that they are spending their days cleaning their home and trying to salvage their belongings that weren’t damaged by the fire.

“He could have killed us. He could have killed our pets and ruined our house because of some reckless kid.”

Anthony FoxHomeowner and arson victim

They had lived in the house for five years before the fire.

The neighbor’s house was also reportedly damaged due to fireworks.

The US Sun contacted the Westminster Police and Fire Department along with the couple involved, but did not immediately receive a response.