In a deeply unsettling incident, a Massachusetts man has been arrested for allegedly attacking his elderly parents, setting their home on fire, and leaving them trapped inside despite their desperate cries for help. This tragic event unfolded in North Adams, where the authorities have charged 44-year-old Darius Hazard with murder and arson.
On Monday, firefighters discovered the bodies of Venture, 76, and Donald, 83, in the charred remains of their living room. The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office reported that the couple succumbed to smoke inhalation, casting a somber shadow over the small community.
According to investigators, Hazard confessed to the horrific sequence of events. He admitted to assaulting his parents, dousing the home with gasoline, and igniting the blaze before fleeing the scene. This act of violence left his parents with no chance of escape as the flames engulfed their residence.
Hazard’s capture occurred a short distance away, in a Walmart parking lot. Upon his arrest, police discovered he had a knife in his car and had inflicted injuries upon himself, attempting to stab his thigh and chest. These self-inflicted wounds paint a disturbing picture of his state of mind following the incident.
The community is reeling from this tragedy, grappling with the loss of two beloved residents under such horrific circumstances. As the legal process unfolds, the emotional and psychological impact of this event will undoubtedly linger for those who knew Venture and Donald.
Police later took Hazard into custody at a Walmart parking lot. Officers frisked him, and he said he had a knife in his car. He said he had attempted to stab himself, and he had injuries to his thigh and chest.
Prosecutors said Hazard told the officers he became “really, really angry” while he and his father were helping his mother, who had difficulty walking and suffered from advanced arthritis and scoliosis, after she fell around 3 a.m., court documents show, according to WNYT.
“I guess I snapped,” he said.
Darius Hazard confessed to physically assaulting his parents inside their home, pouring gasoline on the floor and setting the house on fire. (North Adams Police Department)
Hazard was yelling at them and hitting them repeatedly, the outlet reported. His father told him to stop, which he eventually did. He then shoved both parents to the floor and struck them with various objects, as well as his fist. He even threw a fan at his father.
He poured gasoline on the floor upstairs and in the living room, set a match and drove away.
His parents were injured, but alive when he left. He told police they were yelling “come back” and “help me, help us, we are in trouble” as he left the home.
Darius Hazard told officers he became “really, really angry” while he and his father were helping his mother after she fell around 3 a.m. (North Adams Police Department)
Hazard said he knew he should not have lost his cool like this. He said he had lost his temper in the past and yelled or broken things, but this was the first time he assaulted his parents.
He has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail at Berkshire County House of Correction, News 10 reported.
