A 30-year-old man was arrested and charged Sunday with aggravated arson after he set his parents' home on fire while they were still inside it, according to investigators.
According to a news release from the Chattanooga Fire Department, Jamele Porch was arrested after a report of a fire at a home in the 2400 block of Stuart Street. Neighbors first reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. that the back porch of the home was on fire and also told first responders that they "heard someone screaming outside and then spotted flames," the release stated.
When fire crews arrived, they found one occupant of the home outside and worked to remove the remaining occupant. Porch fled the scene but left behind melted shoes and other evidence, investigators said.
Authorities later learned Porch had arrived at a local hospital with burns to his toes and hands before he was arrested and charged. Porch's parents were not injured in the incident, and the fire did not cause extensive damage to the home.
- Compiled by Kiara Green