Son sets house on fire with his mom and a baby locked in bathroom, Florida cops say
A family argument turned into attempted murder when a man set their house on fire with a woman and 4-month-old locked in a bathroom, according to investigators in Florida.
The woman and baby escaped the burning home after officials said the man left the scene, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in news release.
Ronald Beasley Jr. — the son of the woman — was arrested after he was found “a few streets away” by deputies, officials said.
The incident happened at about 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at a home in Lake Alfred, about a 55-mile drive northeast from Tampa.
“The victim told detectives that she and Beasley Jr. got into an argument over his drug addiction. ... The victim locked herself in the bathroom with the baby in an attempt to escape the altercation with Beasley Jr.,” the sheriff’s office said. “He broke into the bathroom, and fled outside after the victim threatened to call 911. The victim locked the front door to prevent the suspect from reentering the home.”
“A loud boom” was heard by the woman just before the home began to burn, officials said.
One of the neighbors reported seeing the suspect leave the yard around that time, “and he stated ‘you need to go get the baby from inside the house because I just set it on fire,’” the sheriff’s office said.
Details of how the woman and child escaped were not released.
The “large” fire heavily damaged the home, and a family cat was killed in the blaze, the sheriff’s office said.
Beasley, 35, is charged with:
- Attempted first-degree murder
- Animal cruelty
- False imprisonment
- Tampering with a witness
“This violent suspect’s actions put innocent lives in serious danger, and we are grateful that the victims made it out safely,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. “Setting a fire in a home with a baby and family pet inside is not only reckless but shows a complete disregard for life.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Son sets house on fire with his mom and a baby locked in bathroom, Florida cops say."