KERRVILLE, Texas – Updated Thursday at 1:25 p.m.:
Kerrville fire and police officials said the fire that left Kayden Culp, 10, with second- and third-degree burns doesn't appear to be premeditated.
At a news conference, officials said the shed was already on fire when a juvenile male poured gasoline onto the fire, causing a flash fire that burned Kayden.
"Which in turn resulted in a backflash to ignite the container and the contents of that accelerant, which were then discarded by that individual, which inadvertently, according to everything that we've developed, struck this child," Police Chief David Knight said.
He said four boys, who knew each other, were in the shed when the fire erupted.
"No one was coerced to be there," Knight said.
After the news conference, an unidentified female family member of the juvenile arrested said the fire was an accident.
"We know that these kids, like I said before, are all friends," she said. "He didn't deliberately do this and go over there and throw this gasoline on top of him. You guys heard what they said in there (news conference). They were messing with it (gasoline), so somebody went this way, and it splashed everywhere."
Original Story:
The Kerrville Police Department on Wednesday said a juvenile was arrested and charged with first-degree arson after an investigation determined that the juvenile was identified as the person responsible for causing a 10-year-old’s severe burns.
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On Sunday about 3:45 p.m., the Kerrville Fire Department and the Police Department responded to a structure fire in the 300 block of Blanks Street. When they arrived, they found Kayden Culp severely burned.
Kayden was airlifted to University Hospital, where he remains in an induced coma with burns covering 20 percent of his body, from his ears to his belly and under his arms, said his mother, Tristyn Hatchett.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and the Fire Marshal’s Office is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 830-257-8449.
The police department held a press conference Thursday at Kerrville City Hall to discuss the case. KSAT's Pilar Arias was there and sent these updates via Twitter.
