17-Year-Old Boy Sets Family House On Fire While Parents Still Inside

A 17-year-old boy in New York has been charged with arson after he intentionally set his family’s house on fire, police said.

The deputies and firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the family’s house in Clay after 9 a.m. ET, Sunday. The teen boy’s parents were inside the house at the time of the incident but were able to escape without any injuries, reported local news outlet Syracuse.

When the responders arrived, the homeowners told them that their 17-year-old son who remains unnamed was still inside the home. The deputies tried to enter the boy’s room on the second floor but could not reach it due to heavy smoke.

They then climbed a ladder and tried to reach the room from an attached garage. But their efforts were in vain as the thick smoke and flames still kept them out. The rescuers also tried yelling numerous times for the teen but did not get any response.

As the firefighters were climbing down the roof, they saw footprints in the snow leading away from the house. The deputies followed the footprints and saw the teen running away from the scene. He was caught about 1.5 miles from his home.

The firefighters extinguished the fire in about 10 minutes but the second floor of the house had serious damage from the smoke and fire. Although no one was injured in the incident, four deputies suffered minor smoke inhalation, reported local news outlet WSYR.

The investigation soon revealed that the teen had intentionally set the house on fire and has been charged with second-degree arson. He was scheduled to appear in Family court Monday.

According to New York state law, a person charged with second-degree arson faces a B felony that carries sentencing from 5-25 years in prison. The law defines arson in the second degree as a crime when a person intentionally damages a building or motor vehicle by starting a fire, and when another person who is not a participant in the crime is present in such building or motor vehicle at the time.