A 27-year-old man from Pennsylvania was arrested by the police after he doused a 4-year-old boy with gasoline and tried to set him on fire because he wanted to burn a “demon” out of him.
27-year-old Josiah James McIntosh is currently facing charges, which includes an aggravated assault charge.
According to reports, the incident happened on May 13, 2020, at around 1 pm at a house in Southmont Borough, which is located outside Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Authorities were responding to a domestic disturbance call when they realized that a 4-year-old boy that they found smelled like gasoline.
McIntosh was also there and he was in possession of a disposable lighter.
West Hills Regional Police Department Officer Christopher Kesslak said alleged in a criminal complaint that the 27-year-old had splashed gasoline on the 4-year-old boy.
The officer also alleged that the man had made a threat to set him on fire.
A man that arrived at the house before the police did said that the 27-year-old man told him: “If we can’t get out the demon, I’ll burn it out of him.”
The man said that he tried to stop McIntosh, however, he was punched and hit in the head with a brick.
The police said that they saw facial injuries on the man’s left part of the head and on the ear area.
Authorities launched a search for the said man, just to find McIntosh in the neighborhood.
McIntosh is also facing reckless endangerment and child endangerment charges.
According to local news agencies, the 4-year-old boy is the son of McIntosh.
McIntosh is currently being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the incident on May 27, 2020.