An Augusta mother faces a child cruelty charge after her unattended 11-year-old son set himself on fire Wednesday, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
Authorities told the newspaper the child was home with his 3-year-old sister when he put rubbing alcohol on himself and lit it in their apartment. Police said the child was attempting to perform the “Fire Challenge,” a viral social media stunt in which participants record themselves pouring flammable liquid on their bodies and then igniting it.
Authorities received a call about the fire and the boy was taken to the hospital with first- and second-degree burns to his face and chest, the Chronicle reported. He is expected to survive.
The child’s mother, 29-year-old Mattelyn Parks, was arrested on one count of first-degree cruelty to children, Richmond County jail records show. It’s unclear where she was at the time of the fire. She did not have a bond as of Thursday afternoon.
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