HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Surveillance video obtained exclusively by KPRC 2 News Reporter Corley Peel, appears to show the man accused of intentionally setting an apartment building on fire, moments before it burst into flames, killing his own brother and injuring several others, including a 3-year-old boy.
Matthew Atwater is charged with felony murder with arson as an underlying offense. The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. at the Cypresswood Apartments on Cypresswood Drive.
The surveillance footage appears to show Atwater walking up and down a stairwell minutes before the blaze erupted.
Neighbor Leroy Broussard described the terrifying scene.
“The fire just took off super fast,” Broussard said.
His son woke the family up after spotting the building next door in flames.
“The upstairs family, they were actually climbing from the balcony to get down. They couldn’t even go out the front door,” Broussard said.
Investigators say Atwater got into an argument with family members before allegedly starting the fire intentionally. Its unclear how he allegedly started the fire, but detectives say it was fueled from anger. When firefighters arrived, Atwater’s 40-year-old brother, Andrew, was transported to the hospital, where he later died. Atwater’s mother was also seriously injured. Neighbors saw her covered in blood.
Neighbor Megan McCrary tried to help Atwater’s mother in the chaos.
“I asked her if I could get her anything, but she was just in shock and she couldn’t get any words out. I said I’ll be right back — I’m going to get some water and a towel. When I came back downstairs, they had already taken her,” McCrary said.
Deputies say a 3-year-old boy in a neighboring apartment suffered extensive burns. Several others were also hurt. The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office says two other people are intubated and one is in intensive care.
McCrary says she had previously raised concerns about Atwater’s behavior to apartment management, including reports of him jumping into dumpsters and allegedly starting a small grass fire five months ago.
“A family member came by one day and they were like, ‘Hey, somebody’s down there burning something in the grass.’ When I came outside to see who it was, that’s when I decided I should contact management,” McCrary said.
Neighbors say they never expected the situation to escalate to something so devastating.
“I just pray for everybody who lost everything,” McCrary said.
Atwater is charged with felony murder, but investigators say additional charges are possible. The Red Cross is assisting displaced residents. The Harris County Fire Marshal and the Harris County Sheriff’s office are investigating this case.