BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A man is facing murder charges after police said he crashed his car into a home that killed two people then led officers on a manhunt.
Matthew Thomas, 23, was charged with two counts of murder in connection with the crash that killed a mother and daughter Sunday morning.
Police said a man driving a car crashed into a home on the 100 block of South 8th Street in Belleville. The front of the home was charred black from the fire damage.
"I didn't hear the crashing of the car, I didn't hear nothing," neighbor Sheniece McGruder said when it happened the morning of Aug. 11.
Two victims inside the home were killed, now identified as 35-year-old Shavonne Green and 4-year-old Torianna Bohanna. The crash happened Sunday at 9:11 a.m.
McGruder told 5 On Your Side that a mother and daughter were the victims of the crash. Police confirm one boy was rescued from the building.
A fan of crime TV shows, McGruder quickly saw there was more at play than someone might suspect.
"When I seen how bad the flames were, at first I thought it was just a house fire," McGruder said. "But looking at the flames, I like a lot of the crazy shows and I watch Chicago Fire. Looking at the flames I could tell it was burning too fast, too quick for it to be a normal house fire."
She was right. Police said the crash appeared to be intentional and Matthew K. Thomas was a person of interest.
"How do you wrap your brain around something like that?" McGruder said. "I don't think you really can wrap your brain around a car hitting somebody when they're at home in the comfort of their own home."
Neighbors shared they heard domestic disturbances at the house in the past.
"I'm in shock too but it's crazy he did that to her because he put her out or she put him out," Kyla said, who wanted to keep her last name private. "I don't feel like no relationship is that serious."
"That's wrong," McGruder said. "I don't care what nobody said or did to you. You don't play God and take nobody's life like that."
Police said Thomas was seen near the railroad tracks at South 29th Street in Belleville, armed with a machete.
Police asked people to stay inside Sunday morning via text message at about 11:52 a.m. They asked people to lock their doors and gave a description of a homicide suspect.
Police said the man was near Citizens Park. The park is between Belt West and Main Street near Freedom Drive.
They then found Thomas around 1:00 pm near a Dollar Tree on Belleville Crossing.
Police posted on Facebook at 12:55 p.m. saying Thomas had been taken into custody and they were not seeking anyone else.
In the aftermath, McGruder said her heart goes out to her neighbor's family and especially the little boy who was rescued.
"This baby has seen most of what happened," McGruder said. "So you definitely have to get that baby counseling and get him help with coping with what he's seen because he's going to have a problem for a very long time."
Thomas will be held at Belleville Police Department pending further investigation. Police aren't seeking any additional suspects at this time.
He was charged Tuesday with two counts of murder. Both charges are class-M felonies.