"I will never get closure:" Father of two-year-old girl who died after arson fire speaks out; suspect arrested



MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee police say Michael Morgan was taken into custody on Wednesday morning, October 28th.

Michael Morgan



26-year-old Morgan was wanted in connection with a homicide/arson that occurred on October 20th near 36th and Silver Spring Drive. A two-year-old child, Tae'najah Morgan, died following this arson fire, and 10-year-old Kevin Little was critically injured. Four other children and their grandmother escaped from the home.

Police say Morgan was taken into custody around 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

This case will now be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office for charges.

Morgan is an uncle of the two-year-old girl who died after this fire, and he is married to the mother of the 10-year-old boy critically hurt.

Family members say Morgan was at the courthouse Wednesday for a battery case involving his estranged wife when he was taken into custody.

Records show she recently filed for divorce.

Fire at 36th and Silver Spring Drive



The arson fire happened at a home near 36th and Silver Spring Drive early on October 20th -- around 2:00 a.m.

Tae'najah Morgan



When crews arrived at the scene of the fire early on Tuesday, less than five minutes after getting the call (according to MFD), they encountered heavy fire on the first floor. Some went up the interior stairwell, while others deployed the ladder.

Fire officials say there was evidence of "multiple origins" for this fire on the home's first floor.

Two-year-old Tae'najah Morgan died as a result of this fire on October 21st at Children's Hospital. Milwaukee police ruled her death a homicide.

"I will never get closure. Never," Dante Morgan, Tae'najah Morgan's father told FOX6 News. "I never let my daughter leave my side. I let my daughter leave once and now she won't come back to me."

Kevin Little



Dante Morgan is now mourning the loss of his young daughter, and praying that his 10-year-old nephew, Kevin Little, will recover. He was critically injured in the fire.

"I don't know how to deal with this," Dante Morgan said.

Michael Morgan is Dante's cousin, and the estranged husband of Kevin Little's mother.

" I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe. This is my cousin," Dante Morgan said.

Court records show Michael Morgan's violent past. Battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct charges were filed against him in August of 2014. A criminal complaint indicates Morgan got into an argument with his estranged wife.

Morgan is accused of telling his estranged wife: "If you are not going to be with me, you are not going to come out alive."

He's then accused of punching the screen of a flat-screen television, breaking it.

The complaint says Morgan punched his estranged wife in the face and hit her in the head with a stick.

Morgan's estranged wife's child ran to the police station to inform officers Morgan was beating on his mother.

A separate case charges Morgan with misdemeanor bail jumping. In that case, he's accused of showing up at his estranged wife's home in February 2015 -- in violation of a no contact provision.

Family members worry Morgan may have been trying to get payback with this arson fire.

" To go this far -- this was overboard," Dante Morgan said. "I'll have more closure knowing what happened and why it happened.  Right now, I'm living with the  fact that my precious little girl is a memory now."

 

The 52-year-old grandmother and the four children she rescued sustained minor to no injuries as a result of the fire.

 



The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses for Tae'najah Morgan.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.