JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Angelica Nguyen is still in shock after finding out her brother is accused of burning down the family home with her mother inside.
But Nguyen told New4Jax, she too once worried that her brother might hurt her.
In a past Facebook post, Angelica Nguyen wrote: ”I am scared that my brother will murder me one day.”
She said her brother Ryan Nguyen, 33, is an Army veteran and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has been violent towards her in the past.
Ryan Nguyen is now in jail on an arson charge after police said he set his Arlington home on fire Wednesday night. His 73-year-old mother was inside when the fire started but made it out alive.
“I’m so thankful and I’m still alive," Mirasol Nguyen said. "I really don’t think my son do this. I could not believe because we just went out that day and he was fine. I don’t know what happened.”
The family told News4Jax the fire started in the garage and spread throughout the home, leaving hardly anything left behind.
In a video posted to Facebook, Angelica Nguyen walked through the ashes that cover what used to be her family’s home.
Mirasol Nguyen said she was lying in bed when she heard two loud bangs. She ran to the kitchen where she saw flames.
“I hear my neighbor: You get out, get out!" Mirasol Nguyen said.
Her neighbor, Willie McBride, knocked down the fence and helped her to safety.
A video showed McBride handcuffing Ryan Nguyen at gunpoint until firefighters arrived.
"I gave [McBride] a hug and I said thank you for saving my mother’s life because I wouldn’t have ever forgiven him for that. And that’s what makes this so hard,” Angelica Nguyen said.
Last month, Angelica Nguyen said she filed a restraining order against her brother for pushing her and inappropriately touching her 5-year-old daughter.
“I’m hoping that he’ll one day realize what he did and have the compassion and the empathy that I know was lost in the war. Maybe he can get that back," she said.
Nguyen’s family said they are hoping he can get help. And despite everything, they say they still love him.
For now, Nguyen’s mother, sister and niece are staying at a shelter.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe.com page to help them pick up the pieces.