VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – When a car crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment and caused a devastating fire, police made a gruesome discovery. Meanwhile, the family living inside the home was left with almost nothing.
Laquaine Coleman rushed home to her apartment off of Featherstone Court after a neighbor called to tell her something unbelievable.
“It looked like a fire and an explosion at the same time,” Coleman said.
Her home had gone up in flames.
“I don’t even remember putting my car in park because all I could think about was my son’s urn and my dog,” she said.
Most of her belongings went up in smoke – including the possession closest to her heart, the urn which holds her son’s ashes.
“I lost my son two years ago,” Coleman said. “You can get the materials back, but you can’t get the urn back. I just hope and pray that my son’s urn come up somewhere.”
Coleman’s rescue dog, Blondie, saved herself by escaping the fire.
“She was rescued by maintenance across the street, and within seconds that he rescued my dog, they say the fire and explosion happened,” she said.
The fire had started after a car crashed into the building off of Featherstone Court. But as crews responded to the car, the investigation took a scary turn. They discovered the driver, identified as 33-year-old Gregory Smith, had been shot and killed.
Smith’s sister, Randi Peterson-Titus, tells 10 On Your Side that Smith worked at the Newport News Shipyard for many years. He was also an entrepreneur who had started his own clothing line. She also said Smith leaves behind a 13-year-old son.
“It’s a ripple effect,” Peterson-Titus said of the shooting that took her brother.
Police confirmed to 10 On Your Side that they have arrested two people in connection with Smith’s death, including a juvenile, who was charged with second degree murder and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Naji Johnson, 18, was arrested and charged with felony murder, robbery, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, failure to UD, possession of ammunition by a felon and grand larceny.
Johnson is currently in police custody and is due back in court in March for a preliminary hearing.
Laquaine Coleman has started a GoFundMe to support her and her husband as they try to move on. If you’re interested in contributing, click here.
Randi Peterson-Titus is collecting donations for her nephew, Gregory Smith’s 13-year-old son. If you’d like to contribute, her GoFundMe is linked here.
