A Kentucky man is facing murder and first-degree arson charges after the body of his 1-year-old son was found inside a washing machine after an apartment fire in Laurel County.

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Kentucky State police said Joseph Brock, who would have turned 2 this month, was found stuffed inside the machine after the fire Saturday, according to WKYT-TV.

The boy's father, Vaughn Brock, reportedly ran from the home after the fire started and wasn't seen for days, WKYT reported, citing police.

He was finally arrested Wednesday, after a three-day search.

Brock initially told police he fell asleep on the couch after smoking a joint and that he woke up to smoke and fire. He said he didn’t know how the toddler ended up in the washing machine.

He later admitted to detectives that the boy was acting up, before requesting an attorney and ending the questioning, the station reported.

Brock is now jailed on a $500,000 bond.

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In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

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