Sparta fire victim described as 'fun-loving,' enjoyed family - MLive.com

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Sparta fire victim described as 'fun-loving,' enjoyed family - MLive.com Mar 13th 2012, 02:48 SPARTA TOWNSHIP -- Kori VanHulle had not decided on a long-term career, but knew she liked styling other people's hair. "She had been at cosmetology school before," said her sister, Kelli Kolarik. Those hopes were destroyed early Monday when VanHulle, 24, of Kingsley, died in a Sparta Township fire police say was set by another man who lived in the same house. Her death is difficult for relatives to comprehend. "She was just a fun-loving person," said her sister, describing how VanHulle adored her niece and nephew, ages 7 and 9. VanHulle was trapped in the basement of the home at 9045 Vinton Ave. NW when the fire started at 2:30 a.m. Police said two other occupants of the home -- a man and woman -- got into a domestic altercation that preceded the fire. Friends of the homeowner, Paul Preston, said the man allegedly was beating up the woman when Preston tried to intervene and also was attacked. Michael Piranian, 62, was in the Kent County Jail awaiting formal charges, but police initially sought a felony homicide warrant. Five people were in the home when the blaze was set. VanHulle was the only one who did not escape. She had been staying at the house, living with her boyfriend in the basement, for about the last two months. Piranian and Preston's caretaker also lived there. Preston's daughter, who does not live at the home, said her father told her that the suspect was physically assaulting the caretaker when he tried to intervene. When he did, the suspect attacked him. Not long after, the house was on fire. Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess said VanHulle called 911 from the basement but could not get out of the house. Investigators late Monday morning found her body under rubble in the house. The destroyed home's floor had collapsed in the fire. Kelli Kolarik said her sister and brother had "bounced around" in living arrangements in recent months and did not have jobs. VanHulle's boyfriend, Steven Rish, somehow knew Paul Preston and arranged for them to live there. She said Rish told her parents that Preston was trying to evict Piranian from the house and he may have been angry. Neighbors said police were at the home Sunday morning, but the reason was not clear. When the fire happened, Rish believed VanHulle was right behind him as he climbed out a window, but then lost track of her, Kolarik said. He could not get back in the home. Duke Olin, who lives next door to the home, said Rish and the caretaker came to him for help when the fire started. "One of the women came over, screaming 'Call 911,'" he said. Moments later, VanHulle's boyfriend also came over in a panic. "He said 'Oh my God, I can't get her out,'" Olin said. E-mail John Tunison: jtunison@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/johntunison This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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