Man accused of setting fire to Garden City massage spa with two inside - The Detroit News

[Max Reinhart]

A man faces eight felony counts including intent to murder after authorities said he set fire to a Garden City massage spa with two women inside.

Garden City police responded to the business, Accura Care, at 6561 Middlebelt, at about 11:30 p.m. Monday for a report of a fire. The business is located in a strip mall directly across from Garden City High School.

When crews arrived, the inside of the building was already engulfed in smoke and flames, police said in a press release. A female who was suffering from burns and smoke inhalation stumbled out of the building, police said. She told authorities that one more person was still inside the burning building.

Firefighters found and rescued the other person, also a female, who was trapped inside the business. Both victims were transported to an area hospital. Garden City police did not respond Friday evening to a phone message seeking more details, including an update regarding the alleged victims' conditions.

Investigators found that multiple areas within the building appeared to have been intentionally set on fire. Garden City Police Department detectives identified 34-year-old Ali Al-Shimary as the suspected arsonist and arrested him Tuesday at his home.

According to a WJBK (Fox2) report, one of the victims told police that Al-Shimary came to the spa intoxicated. During a massage session, he allegedly made an "unreasonable request," which was denied by the staff. The suspect became irate, broke items in the business and locked the victims in a laundry room before taking $50 and lighting the spa on fire, police said, according to Fox2.

A call placed to Accura Care by The Detroit News on Friday evening was not answered and the voicemail box was full.

Al-Shimary was charged with two counts each of first-degree arson, assault with intent to murder, unlawful imprisonment and assault to do great bodily harm. The arson and attempted murder charges are punishable by up to life in prison. Unlawful imprisonment carries a 15-year maximum sentence while assault to do great bodily harm is punishable by up to 10 years behind bars.

Al-Shimary was arraigned Thursday in Garden City's 21st District Court where Judge Richard L. Hammer Jr. set his bond at $500,000. According to online records, he has not posted bond and remained at the Wayne County Adult Detention Facility as of Friday afternoon.

Hassan I. Hamade, who is listed online as Al-Shimary's attorney, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Al-Shimary's next hearing is slated for 8:45 a.m. April 21, online court records indicate.

mreinhart@detroitnews.com

@max_detroitnews