Massachusetts man charged with assaulting parents and setting house ablaze, abandoning them to perish

A 44-year-old man was taken into custody after allegedly assaulting his elderly parents and setting their North Adams, Massachusetts home on fire, leaving them trapped inside despite their pleas for help, authorities reported.

Darius Hazard faces charges of murder and arson following the deaths of his parents, 76-year-old Venture and 83-year-old Donald. Firefighters discovered both victims deceased in the living room of their burned residence on Monday morning, according to the Berkshire District Attorneys Office.

Investigators said Hazard admitted to physically attacking his parents inside the house, pouring gasoline on the floor, igniting the fire, and then leaving the scene while the victims remained inside. The medical examiner confirmed that both parents died from smoke inhalation.

Hazard was later apprehended in a Walmart parking lot. Officers reported that he had a knife in his car and that he had attempted to harm himself, sustaining injuries to his thigh and chest. Court records indicate that Hazard told police he became extremely angry while helping his mother, who struggled with advanced arthritis and scoliosis, after she fell around 3 a.m.

During the confrontation, Hazard allegedly shouted at and struck both parents multiple times with his fists and household objects, including a fan. Afterward, he poured gasoline on the floors upstairs and in the living room, ignited the fuel, and drove away. His parents were conscious and calling for help when he left, according to investigators.

Hazard admitted to losing his temper but stated that this was the first instance of him physically attacking his parents. He has entered a plea of not guilty and is being held without bail at Berkshire County House of Correction.

Author: Sophia Brooks