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Fire Destroys Home At Center Of 50 Cent Lawsuit

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May 30, 2008 8:21 pm US/Eastern

Fire Destroys Home At Center Of 50 Cent Lawsuit

Suspicious Blaze Comes On Heels Of Contentious Eviction

Reporting
Jennifer McLogan
DIX HILLS, N.Y. (CBS) ― Hip-hop superstar 50 Cent was in the news Friday, but for the wrong reasons.

The rapper's multimillion dollar Dix Hills mansion burned to the ground early Friday under suspicious circumstances -- with his young son and ex-girlfriend narrowly escaping death.

CBS 2 HD has learned that the home has been the subject of an intense feud between the rapper and his ex.

"He's trying to kill me and his own child. He told me so," Shaniqua Tompkins said.

Tompkins was hysterical after the early morning blaze totally destroyed the rapper's sprawling Long Island mansion. The couple's 10-year-old son, Marquise, jumped out a window.

"Someone threw something through the window and the house just ignited. We couldn't get downstairs we had to jump out the window," Tompkins said.

50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, does not live in the home and was on location in Louisiana.

"(Curtis Jackson) is extremely thankful that everyone including his son, Marquise, escaped the burning house safely. He is confident that authorities will be conducting a thorough investigation," the rapper's spokesperson said.

"Considering the heavy body of fire and the rapid advancement of fire I would say suspicious definitely," said Dix Hills Fire Chief Larry Feld.

Next-door neighbor Robert Lotz was blown away by what he saw.

"This thing was one big blast, looked like the thing was soaked in gasoline," Lotz said.

Lotz and friends of 50 Cent confirmed what ex-girlfriend Tomkins said, that since their breakup the couple has been contentiously battling in court over eviction proceedings.

"With the trouble they've been having, I've thought, I hope somebody doesn't get mad enough to burn the house down or something," Lotz said.

But there was one bright spot in this tragic story: the selfless heroism of an off-duty cop, who rescued all six victims from the inferno.

"I grabbed their feet and one by one they came down to me," Suffolk County Police Officer Douglas Bose said. "The children I was actually able to catch without them hitting the ground."

50 Cent is one of the biggest names in rap. He debuted in 2003 with "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," which sold a stunning 7 million copies. Two years later, his "Massacre" sold 1.1 million the first week alone.

He has been nominated for 13 Grammys, including nods for the song "In da Club" and the album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." In 2005, he starred in a semi-autobiographical movie with that same name.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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