A terrifying domestic incident unfolded in Polk County when a mother and her four-month-old baby were forced to flee a house fire allegedly set by 35-year-old Ronald Beasley Jr. The Polk County Sheriff's Office reports the fire took place at a residence on Sunset Circle Lake in Lake Alfred, following an argument between Beasley Jr. and the victim over his drug addiction, according to FOX 13 News,
After locking herself and the baby in the bathroom to evade Beasley Jr.'s aggression, WTSP reports that he eventually left the house when the victim threatened to call 911. Despite the victim's efforts to secure the home by locking the front door, a loud explosion was heard shortly thereafter, followed by a fire that engulfed the home.
A neighbor, upon recognizing the peril, alerted Beasley Jr., who responded with a chilling assertion that the woman "need to go get the baby from inside the house because I just set it on fire," as detailed by FOX 13 News. Polk County Fire Rescue intervened to extinguish the blaze however, the property sustained significant damage.
Beasley Jr. was apprehended near the scene, and in a statement obtained by FOX13, Sheriff Grady Judd described the suspect's alleged actions as not only reckless but exhibiting "a complete disregard for life." Beasley Jr. faces an array of charges, including attempted first-degree murder, animal cruelty, false imprisonment, and tampering with a witness, along with the charge of first-degree arson by the state fire marshal. The investigation into this harrowing event is ongoing.
