Authorities arrested a 48-year-old woman on Tuesday after she was accused of binding her 11-year-old son’s wrists, locking him in a car and setting it on fire at a Michigan cemetery, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies and firefighters were called around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday by the suspect’s 50-year-old husband, who was worried that his wife might have harmed their son. Officials learned the couple’s car was on fire at Roselawn Memorial Park in LaSalle Township.
Deputies found a smoking 2014 Ford Focus at the cemetery, but neither the woman nor her son were nearby. Authorities found the pair talking to staff in a different part of the cemetery and arrested the woman on charges of attempted murder and arson.
She was taken to ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital for evaluation. Her son was also taken to the hospital and later released.
Authorities said a preliminary investigation found the mother bound her son’s wrists and locked him inside the Focus. She set fire to the trunk of the car as the boy struggled to get out, deputies said.
“The mother later attempted to ignite a fire using gasoline inside the passenger compartment where the boy sat,” deputies said in a news release. “This fire did not ignite.”
When the fire failed to catch, the woman let her son out of the car and walked away. The pair found a cemetery employee, who freed the boy from his bindings, according to authorities.
Deputies continue to investigate the case.
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