Pa. Police Arrest Boy, 10, in Arson
PITTSBURGH --
A 10-year-old boy was arrested Monday -- his small hands locked together with adult handcuffs -- after Pittsburgh police said he started eight fires at his East Hills home with the help of a younger sister.
Police told Channel 4 Action News reporter Ari Hait that the fires were set inside and outside the children's home on Wilner Drive.
"There's a lot of kids out there that play with fire and are curious about fire, but they don't realize how fast it can get out of control," said Detective Michael Burns, of the city's arson squad.
Police said five fires were set over the weekend in a shed, in the grass and at the back door, and three more were set Monday.
"It endangered the property from catching on fire. With those being row houses up there, we could have had a very bad situation," said Burns.
All of the fires were extinguished fairly quickly and did not cause major damage, police said.
"I smelled some smoke and I said, 'We need to go look out the back door,' and there were flames," said next door neighbor Nico Stanton. "We were thinking about not going to sleep because you never know what's going to happen in the middle of the night and stuff like that. We've got little kids who live here, too."
The kids live in the house with their mother and her boyfriend, police said. No injuries were reported.
"Even though you set a small fire and you can put it out now, later on, you get a little more bolder and set bigger fires," Burns said. "That's when they get out of control and end up killing people or hurting people."
Charges against the boy include arson, criminal mischief and risking a catastrophe, police said. He was taken to Shuman Juvenile Detention Center and is not being identified publicly because of his age.
The boy's 9-year-old sister was not arrested. Pennsylvania does not allow children under the age of 10 to be charged with crimes.
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