Man Accused of Stabbing Mother, Burning Down Her Home in West Virginia

A West Virginia man was located and arrested after police say he allegedly stabbed his mother and then set her house on fire, completely burning it down.

Deputies recently responded to a home in Walker for a domestic incident that involved a woman being stabbed in the head, according to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies spoke with the victim, whose name was not released, and learned 23-year-old Charles Hess IV allegedly assaulted his mother with a knife, which caused non-life-threatening wounds to her scalp, and then ran into a wooded area, officials say.

The sheriff’s office, with the help of a K-9 unit, could not track the suspect down.

Early the following morning, officials received a call regarding a house fire at the same residence in Walker, authorities said.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and worked to extinguish the flames, which had “fully engulfed” the home, officials said.

According to investigators, Hess returned to the home and was a “contributing factor to the fire.”

Authorities said no one was believed to be home when the fire started, but the house was a total loss.

After the stabbing and fire, authorities put out an alert for Hess, noting he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Two days after the stabbing, and the day following the fire, officers located Hess in a wooded area near the home and in the same vicinity where they had previously searched.

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He was arrested and charged with attempted murder, but authorities noted he could face additional charges.

He was booked into jail and was being held on a $50,000 bond.