New Jersey woman displaced by alleged arsonist reunited with late husband's wedding ring
WOODBRIDGE, N.J. — A New Jersey woman is displaced after her neighbor's alleged act of arson, but she is just thankful that first responders were able to save her most precious possession, her late husband's wedding ring.
Firefighters responded to call on McGuire Street in Woodbridge around 3 a.m. Thursday. One house was fully engulfed in flames, and five others were damaged.
"To lose my husband's ring would have killed me"
A Ring camera shows a first responder knocking on neighbor Carole Matyi's door.
"They said get out. Look, I just got back from the hospital. All I had was my shoes and nightgown," Matyi said.
Matyi was overcome by smoke.
"We were getting her to the curb when she collapsed," a neighbor said.
But all the 80-year-old wanted was the wedding ring that belonged to her late husband, John, who died in September.
CBS News New York's cameras were rolling as her friends brought over the ring, which they say an officer found in her home.
"I could lose everything in the world, but to lose my husband's ring would have killed me. I was trying to get back in the house and they stopped me from getting in the house," Matyi said. "My husband, John, was a one in a million man. He was my soulmate ... It means everything. I have a symbol of his life with me now. I wore it since he died, and I take it off at night and I put it on the dresser, and some wonderful policeman went inside my house to retrieve it for me. How wonderful life is."
Despite the loss of her home, Matyi is grateful for a glimmer of hope, knowing a hero went the extra mile to find the most precious gift this holiday season.
"Nothing matters. This matters. This is my life," Matyi said.
Woodbridge homeowner charged with arson after fire damages 6 homes
Matyi's neighbor Anthony Burke, 57, has been charged with six counts of arson.
Investigators say they determined early on that he started a fire that damaged six homes, including his own.
Police say when Burke was confronted, there was a struggle, injuring four officers.