US: Police arrests a 7-year-old child who set his parents’ house on fire with parents sleeping inside

According to a report by CBS News, a 7-year-old child was arrested and charged with first-degree arson after allegedly setting fire to his parents’ house while they were asleep inside. The incident took place in Jackson County, which is located approximately 40 miles northwest of Charleston.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department in West Virginia shared a photo on Facebook showing the engulfed home. The department’s post stated that the child intentionally set the house on fire while his parents were inside.

Fortunately, although two individuals inside the house suffered minor burns, everyone managed to escape the home alive. The child was taken into custody and charged with first-degree arson.

In a statement, the police department mentioned, “This evening a 7-year-old juvenile is in custody and charged with 1st-degree arson after the family home was intentionally set ablaze with the parents asleep inside. Minor burn injuries occurred to two individuals, but everyone made it out of the home alive. No further information will be released regarding the investigation because of the sensitive nature of the case. Special thanks go out this evening to the responding volunteer fire departments and the WV State Fire Marshal’s Office.”

The following day, the department announced the arrest of the child’s stepfather on suspicion of child abuse. Investigators believed that the child, who committed the arson, was being abused by the stepfather. The department’s Facebook post stated, “Aaron Hufford, age 38 of Sandyville, WV and stepfather to the 7-year-old suspect from yesterday’s 1st Degree Arson event, has been arrested for Child Abuse of the same 7-year-old. The thorough investigation continues with Detective Seth Fisher and Detective Gary Baldwin leading the way. No further details will be provided at this time.”

Due to the sensitive nature of the case, limited information has been released by the authorities.

It’s important to note that the rules for arresting juveniles and charging them with crimes vary from state to state in the US. In West Virginia, police can levy charges against children either through a criminal complaint or a citation.

While the arrest of children is not uncommon in the US, it is worth mentioning that in 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation preventing children under the age of 12 from facing prosecution and arrest for nearly all crimes in the state.

During the 2017-2018 school year, more than 700 children were arrested by the police in US elementary schools, as reported by CBS News analysis.