INDIANAPOLIS — Antonia Mitchell said she was walking home Sunday morning after a night out with friends when she started seeing smoke coming from a duplex on East 19th Street, just east of Forest Manor Park on Indianapolis' east side.
"So, I did a quick sprint from here and straight up to the door and I tried to open it, but I got smacked with smoke, so the next move was to turn to the neighbor's door and get them out," Mitchell said.
Inside that portion of the duplex was a family of four that Mitchell was able to wake up and get outside around 4 a.m. Aug. 11.
"It was grandparents and two small grandkids. One little girl, she had on just a little nightgown, and it was super cold, so I gave her my jacket and my socks and made sure everybody was OK," Mitchell said.
Once they were out, Mitchell said she and her friend went around to the other side of the duplex banging on windows.
One of them even shattered and cut Mitchell's hand, but sadly, they weren't able to get to the woman inside.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
"Ms. Mary and how she passed really hurt me the most. She was trying to get out and couldn't, and I was on other side of the door, and I couldn't get it open," Mitchell said.
Mitchell said she never met the people who she helped that night, but would often wave to them as she passed by their home.
"You don't be a bystander because more people get hurt. I, growing up, not at home, but maybe in other social settings, was kind of looked over, hurt, and bullied by other people, and I've always kind of internalized that, so I have always made that my mission to help other people," Mitchell said.
Since the fire, Mitchell said she has since checked in on the family she helped. She said the family is thankful for her pounding on their door that night.