7 year old sets house on fire with parents inside, stepfather arrested for abuse, police say
A West Virginia 7 year old set a home on fire while the child's parents were inside, investigators said. And though the child was detained as part of the arson investigation, the child's stepfather was also arrested on child-abuse allegations.
The investigation began Wednesday when a home in Jackson County, about 40 miles northwest of Charleston, was set on fire while the child's parents were asleep inside, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department posted in a news release on Facebook.
The adults in the home suffered minor burns and the child was taken into custody and charged with first-degree arson, investigators said.
Authorities said they are limiting the information they release “because of the sensitive nature of the case."
A photo posted on the department’s Facebook page Wednesday shows the home engulfed in flames.
The next day, the department said the child’s stepfather was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
Investigators believe the stepfather was abusing the child who started the fire, according to the sheriff's department.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: West Virginia kid sets home on fire, stepdad faces child abuse charge
