A Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged after his elderly parents were discovered dead inside their burning home earlier this week.
Venture Hazard, 76, and her husband, Donald Hazard, 83, were killed in their North Adams residence early Monday morning, Nov. 24, according to a news release from the North Adams Police Department (NAPD) shared on Facebook.
Later that same day, authorities arrested the couple’s 44-year-old son, Darius Hazard. Investigators allege that he told police he assaulted his parents, poured gasoline on the first floor of the home, and then set the house on fire before leaving.
Darius was arraigned on one count of arson, per police, and has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to WNYT.
It is currently unclear whether he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
In a probable cause report obtained by News 10, police said Darius told them he had been struggling to cope with his mother’s advanced arthritis and scoliosis.
According to the report, officers wrote that Darius said he and his father were helping Venture after she fell when he became agitated and attacked both of them.
As he left the house after allegedly setting the fire, Darius told police he could still hear his parents calling out for him, WNYT reported, citing court documents.
He said he heard his mother and father yelling, “come back” and “help me, help us, we are in trouble,” according to the probable cause report.
The Hazards’ neighbors called emergency services after noticing smoke coming from the home, the NAPD said. Responding officers found the couple dead in their living room, WNYT reported.
Police then went to Darius’ workplace to find him. Coworkers told officers he had not come in that day, which they said was unusual for him, NBC Boston reported. He was later located and taken into custody.
The loss has deeply affected the North Adams community. Speaking about the impact, local resident Jamie Lynn King told News 10, “The entire family, Darius included, have been a pillar in this community for many decades.”
“Everyone knows them. Everyone loved them,” she added. “Don’t just judge a book by the shortest words you’ve heard because there’s got to be a lot for it to have happened the way it did.”
Family friend Nate Shoot also reflected on the situation, telling the outlet about Darius: “I just hope he gets the help he needs, and we get answers, because this is not like him at all.”
