‘Death Followed Us To This Place'; Family Flees War-Torn Yemen To Fall Victim To Oakland Violence

By CBS San Francisco Staff:

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — While investigators continued their search for a suspect Monday, a family that fled Yemen seeking a new life in America was mourning the deaths of a father and baby daughter in a weekend arson fire — the innocent victims of a mistaken retaliatory attack.

Esam Musleh and his 1-year-old daughter Alia Musleh died when a fire engulfed their 3-story house located right across from the front entrance of Bishop O’Dowd High School at 12:14 a.m. Saturday. His pregnant wife remains hospitalized with burns.

Mohammed Alsamma, the victims’ cousin, is still trying to come to grips with their deaths. He said the family thought they had found a safe, new home in Oakland after living in fear for years in Yemen.

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