Community Corner
Mystery Man Helps Elderly Woman Escape House Fire In Malden
James Schulz says a stranger ran into his burning home, got his mom to safety, then vanished.

A scene virtually straight from a comic book movie unfolded amid a two-alarm fire at 10 Ashland St. on Monday.
The displaced family is looking for an individual whose Batman-like instincts kicked in at just the right moment to pull their elderly matriarch, Mary Schulz, out of harm’s way.
James Schulz first knew something was amiss when he heard a crossing guard yell for someone to call 9-1-1 at around 3:30 p.m.
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On his way outside, Schulz encountered the Samaritan he now hopes will come forward to get his due thank-yous.
“There was a gentleman coming up my stairs telling me that my house is on fire,” Schulz recalls.
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Before the ordeal was over, the flames that tore through the roof of the two-and-a-half story building would become clearly visible from a distance.
“I yelled at my mom to get out of the house. I went up to the attic, and saw that it was full of smoke. I went to get my mom out, but somebody had already picked her up, ‘cause she couldn’t walk, y’know?”
Then, the gentleman who saved Schulz’s mom left the area before anyone could thank him.
“All I know is he was a black guy,” Schulz said, asked what he remembers of the mystery man. “I couldn’t tell you how tall he was, or what he was wearing. That was the least of my concerns at the time.”
Image Credit: Keri Ann Attanasio
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