Houston Family | Ages 7 and up | San Diego, CA | May 2012

Willie Houston in San Diego is wrongly arrested and house is nearly burned down in botched marijuana raid.

Black smoke pours out of the 2nd story where two women & a 7 year old were trapped

Fire Dept shows up to put out kitchen fire Sheriff's Dept causes in blunder

Two women and 7 year old child need to be evacuated from 2nd floor.

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On Thursday May 24, 2012, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department raided Willie and Christine Houston’s home after being tipped that a robber who hit a medical marijuana delivery person was present. The only problem, they had the wrong house and the wrong person. Just another day in the all too common world of drug raids… Why substantiate tips or double check the facts including the actual address? Let’s assume guilty until proven innocent.

10News paints the scene:

Willie Houston, who lives in the home, said his family was making dinner when they realized deputies surrounded the house.

“So I go outside to the door and they tell me to stick my hand through the bar and come on out and follow the voice and the light, and as soon as I get out they handcuff me,” said Houston.

Around the same time, Houston’s son-in-law came home and was also put in handcuffs, but ultimately let go. The family said they were ordered out of the house at gunpoint.

Houston’s wife, Christine, added, “I said, ‘Wait a minute, there’s food on the stove, my grandbaby is upstairs, Cherie is upstairs,’ and then all of sudden all hell breaks loose; all the smoke started coming out of the house.”

The fire broke out in the kitchen, and two women and a 7-year-old girl were trapped on the second floor of the home, according to authorities.

One deputy used a skateboard and another used a fire ax in an attempt to break the windows to get the people out. Deputies had everyone out by the time the fire crews arrived.

These law abiding citizens’ 7-year-old granddaughter’s life was almost cut short being trapped on the second story from the fire caused by this stupidity.  The Sheriff’s Department wouldn’t even listen to their pleas to turn off their stove.

The Sheriff’s Department apologized, claimed this epic screw up will be investigated and that appropriate compensation will be made for the destroyed kitchen.  Does this supposedly coming compensation include the trauma placed on the family, the lives that could be been lost, the inconveniences placed upon them? How are these grandparents supposed explain to their young granddaughter why police would treat them and all citizens this way?

Photos from DailyMail