A Massachusetts man, Darius Hazard, age 44, faces allegations of having deliberately set a fire that resulted in the tragic deaths of his elderly parents. NBC Boston reported that the blaze, which engulfed the family home located at 77 Francis Street in North Adams, led to charges of arson and murder being brought against the son.
According to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, Hazard was arrested after he was spotted by state police driving south on Route 7; a BOLO had been issued for his vehicle. As noted by NBC Boston, officials claimed the son had departed from his parents' residence after allegedly setting the fire between 3 and 4 a.m. The neighbor alerted authorities to the fire around 7:11 a.m., but by the time rescue personnel entered, Venture Hazard, 76, and Donald Hazard, 83, were discovered deceased with smoke inhalation determined as the cause of death.
Boston.com reports that Darius Hazard told police he “snapped” before allegedly assaulting his parents and setting their house on fire. At a Walmart parking lot, Hazard reportedly admitted to Sergeant Matthew Mozzi that he was aware of the situation but lost control.
Court documents obtained by Boston.com show that Darius Hazard, struggling to care for his mother, became frustrated and had a violent outburst, also injuring himself with a stab wound. He was taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and remains in North Adams police custody.
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue expressed sympathy for the Hazard family and the North Adams community. He also praised North Adams firefighters for their response to the incident. Darius Hazard was remanded to the Berkshire County House of Correction without bail and awaits a dangerousness hearing. His attorneys from the Committee for Public Counsel Services’ Pittsfield Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
