Tayliah Williams, 3, clings to her mother Latisha Williams after the two were rescued from their smoky apartment by neighbor Arnez Merriweather at the Hillvale Apartments on Monday, November 29, 2021. At least five people were rescued from the apartment of eight units. building in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. “We were jumping and the neighbors were catching us,” said Karen Williams, Latisha’s aunt. “God is good.” Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
Arnez Merriweather speaks with St. Louis Fire Captain Garon Mosby about rescuing his neighbors at the Hillvale Apartments on Monday, November 29, 2021. At least five people were rescued from the eight-unit apartment, including a girl three-year-old boy Merriweather hugged in the Wells-Goodfellow building. Three people were taken to hospitals in the area. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
Connie Williams and her dog Mollie are aided by St. Louis police after they were among five people rescued by neighbors at the Hillvale Apartments on Monday, November 29, 2021. At least five people were rescued from the eight-unit building in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. âWe were jumping and the neighbors were catching us,â said Karen Williams, Connie’s sister. “God is good.” Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
Roy Henderson clings to his son Rashaad Henderson as their apartment building burns down at the Hillvale Apartments on Monday, November 29, 2021. At least five people were rescued by neighbors of the eight-unit apartment building in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood, while the Henderson escaped on their own. Three people were taken to hospitals in the area. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
ST. LOUIS – A neighbor grabbed a 3-year-old girl thrown by her mother from a second story window Monday morning as flames spread inside a building in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood.
Arnez Merriweather, 30, grabbed the child as he stood outside the Hillvale Apartments, 5830 Selber Court, around 9:30 a.m. Monday. Merriweather lives at the complex in a building next to the one on fire.
Arnez Merriweather helped save his neighbors from a fire in an apartment in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. St. Louis fire Captain Garon Mosby describes the scene.
The black smoke billowing from the eight unit building was so thick that Merriweather and the others could not enter a hallway to enter the complex.
âWe were screaming at the windows to tell people to come out, and a woman came to the window and threw the baby out,â Merriweather said.
Merriweather called her a baby, but the child is actually 3 years old. After being rescued, the child, Tayliah Williams, clung to her mother, Latisha Williams, as they were taken in an ambulance to treat minor injuries. An older woman was also taken to hospital for evaluation.
Five people in all were rescued. Two of the five refused treatment, officials said. All were rescued before the firefighters arrived.
Tayliah Williams, 3, clings to her mother Latisha Williams as they are transported to a St. Louis fire ambulance after the two were rescued from their smoky apartment by neighbor Arnez Merriweather at the Hillvale Apartments on Monday November 29, 2021. At least five people were rescued from the eight-apartment building in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. “We were jumping and the neighbors were catching us,” said Karen Williams, Latisha’s aunt. “God is good.” Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
Robert cohen
After the fire was extinguished, Merriweather spent several minutes at the scene chatting with a fire official about what had happened.
St. Louis fire Captain Garon Mosby praised the heroic measures taken by the neighbor. Mosby gathered information from the scene and spoke to numerous witnesses who confirmed what Merriweather said.