Woman charged with setting Armstrong County home on fire; baby taken to hospital
FORD CITY, Pa. (KDKA) -- A woman is in custody after allegedly setting fire to a home in Armstrong County while people were still inside.
It was just after 9:30 Sunday night when the family living in the home on Plum Way noticed something that caught their attention: smoke and flames. They rushed to get out and put out the fire.
One of the people who escaped the flames was a 4-month-old baby boy in his mother's arms. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and observation for potentially some inhalation. The boy's mom told KDKA-TV he's going to be OK.
"I just threw a blanket over his head honestly and went out of the house, ran as fast as I could," Alaura Filler said.
Family members tell KDKA-TV the fire started on the porch and began to spread quickly.
"Very lucky because it could have been a lot worse. We could have went to sleep and never woke up," Filler said.
Police started searching for a suspect and investigators say Joy Lloyd is responsible. Lloyd, who has already spent time in jail for an arson in Maryland, was arrested after witnesses say she bought some gasoline at a nearby convenience store and then headed toward the home.
The family says Lloyd lived in the home for about a year and a half before she moved. Phillip Beere and his dad were inside the home when the flames broke out.
"Jumped out of bed in our boxers, come run down and took care of what we needed to do. Tried to get everybody out, it's that simple. You put your family before your own life," he said.
Lloyd was taken into custody after questioning by police. She's in the Armstrong County Jail facing numerous charges, including arson.