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Two Arrested in 2025 Midlothian Arson That Nearly Trapped Sleeping Family
More than a year after a man was caught on video dousing a Midlothian home with gasoline and igniting it while a family of eight slept inside, police have arrested two men on first-degree felony arson charges. A 21-year-old daughter's late-night vigilance saved her family.
MIDLOTHIAN, Texas â More than a year after a man was captured on surveillance video pouring gasoline on a two-story home and setting it ablaze while a family of eight slept inside, Midlothian police have arrested two men on first-degree felony arson charges.
Bennie Leon McGriff Jr., 55, and Rashad Gilbert Harrington, 27, were taken into custody in connection with the Aug. 12, 2025, fire in the 900 block of McAlpin Road, according to the Midlothian Police Department. Police allege McGriff drove Harrington to the home to carry out the arson, and that DNA evidence tied Harrington to the scene.
Investigators built the case using neighborhood surveillance footage, Flock license-plate-reading cameras, vehicle telematics and cell phone records, which together led them to a white Ford F-450 registered to McGriff.
The fire was reported around 1:05 a.m. that August night. The home belonged to the Wilson family, and Darryl Wilson's 21-year-old daughter, Malia, was home from college on summer break and still awake when motion-activated security lights flicked on outside. Her bedroom sits directly above the garage, giving her a clear view of the driveway.
She went downstairs to investigate and saw flames rising outside the living room window. She called 911 and woke her father, and the family used pots of water to hold the fire back until firefighters arrived and extinguished it. No one was injured, and damage to the home was limited.
Police have not disclosed a possible motive for the arson or said whether the suspects knew the family living inside. Both men face a first-degree felony charge of arson of a habitation.
The case underscores how ordinary vigilance â a daughter awake late, a motion light, a 911 call â can mean the difference between a scare and a tragedy. It also highlights the growing role of networked surveillance technology in solving crimes months after they occur, a tool that raises its own questions about privacy in residential neighborhoods.
For the Wilson family, the arrests bring a measure of accountability more than a year after a night that could have ended far differently. The investigation remains active, and anyone with information is asked to contact Midlothian police.