Man Charged with Attempted Murder, Arson in Seneca Fire

SENECA, S.C. (AP) _ A man has been charged with nine counts of attempted murder after police say he set fire to a family home with half a dozen children inside.

Media outlets report that 27-year-old Joshua Charles Campbell was also charged Wednesday with third-degree arson by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire occurred Jan. 16. The children, ages 1 to 16, and three adults in the home weren’t injured after one of the children woke up, smelled smoke and alerted everyone else.

Warrants say that Campbell set fire to a pickup truck in a carport. The fire spread to another vehicle and then to the home, where everyone was sleeping.

After the fire, investigators began looking at Campbell as a suspect.

It’s unclear if he has an attorney.