Arson West Virginia

A traveling toy salesman was charged Sunday with setting one of a string of arson fires that terrorized this historic coal mining town during the Christmas weekend, authorities said. Jerry Lee Barker, 38, of Sparta, Tenn., was accused of setting fire to a truck, one of four suspicious blazes that occurred within minutes of each other Saturday, Police Chief David Stratton said. They occurred a day after a fire and explosion gutted four downtown buildings and injured seven people.

A house fire that claimed the lives of five children has led to first-degree arson charges against three parents, including a stepfather who had blamed the victims for playing with matches, authorities say. The three defendants were arraigned Wednesday night and jailed on $250,000 bail. Assistant State Fire Marshal Greg Greer said an investigation found that gasoline had been poured in the home before it was set ablaze Nov. 21.

A house fire that claimed the lives of five children has led to first-degree arson charges against three parents, including a stepfather who had blamed the victims for playing with matches, authorities say. The three defendants were arraigned Wednesday night and jailed on $250,000 bail. Assistant State Fire Marshal Greg Greer said an investigation found that gasoline had been poured in the home before it was set ablaze Nov. 21.

A traveling toy salesman was charged Sunday with setting one of a string of arson fires that terrorized this historic coal mining town during the Christmas weekend, authorities said. Jerry Lee Barker, 38, of Sparta, Tenn., was accused of setting fire to a truck, one of four suspicious blazes that occurred within minutes of each other Saturday, Police Chief David Stratton said. They occurred a day after a fire and explosion gutted four downtown buildings and injured seven people.