Elderly woman's Detroit home firebombed leaving her with repairs she can't afford

DETROIT (FOX 2) - "It just hurts my heart. It hurts my heart. Because I know how my mother loved this house," said Deloris Tabb.

It has been Tabb's home on Indiana Avenue off Plymouth Road for 40 years on Detroit's west side. The house, which has been in her family for even longer, was firebombed on August 11.

Elderly Detroit woman’s house torched in suspected arson case

It has been Ms. Tabb's home on Indiana Avenue off Plymouth Road for 40 years on Detroit's west side. The house, which has been in her family for even longer, was firebombed on August 11.

"I was called by a neighbor on the phone, and I came home as fast as I could," she said. "I was way out in Dearborn when this happened and I came here to find out (what happened). It's just devastating. Really devastating."

The Detroit Fire Department is calling it an active arson investigation and that there is information of a female with mental issues who may be involved.

"Mentally challenged, but nobody is taking them off the street and they need help," she said. "And they come and destroy somebody's property. That is unfair, totally unfair. Because what if somebody had been in there. You could have killed them if you are setting fires and firebombing a house, throwing chemicals up in there. You could have killed somebody. Not just me, the next-door neighbors, too."

Thankfully Tabb was not home when it happened and she has not slept there since. The house is not a total loss, but there is still a lot of damage inside and out. 

Tabb said she had only recently discontinued her home owner's insurance.

"I just dropped the homeowner's insurance in December," she said. "I couldn't afford that and pay the taxes too." 

"We're going to help her rebuild her house," said Denise Lomax.

Lomax, a community leader and youth mentor who owns properties in this same neighborhood, heard of the fire and saw FOX 2 interviewing Tabb about the fire Wednesday. 

She wants to help repair some of the damage there.

"This lady is a resident of the city of Detroit, she's probably been here all her life," Lomax said. "We owe that to her, to help her in any way that we can."

Tabb is staying with a family member since the fire, she has another relative staying at her home to secure it for now. 

Anyone who would like to help Tabb may contact our news desk at fox2newsdesk@foxtv.com and we will forward the information on.