dpCHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Two people have been charged with arson in connection with a fire on Charleston’s West Side late Sunday.
Dakota Harper, 21, and Felicity Eatmon, 22, are each charged with conspiracy to commit arson and first-degree arson in connection with a blaze that destroyed an abandoned home in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue earlier this week, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Felicity Dawn Eatmon and Dakota Michael Harper (WVDCR)
The fire was reported about 11:15 p.m. Sunday, but smoke lingered in the area through Monday morning as the remains smoldered. Investigators said the home was abandoned and had no active utilities.
During a probe of the blaze, the complaint said investigators obtained surveillance video showing Harper and Eatmon in an adjacent alleyway prior to the fire.
In the video, Eatmon can be seen providing Harper with what appears to be a piece of paper that was then lit on fire and placed inside the home, the complaint said.
Shortly after, the pair could be seen partially entering the home while the fire continued to grow, according to the complaint. Investigators said the video then shows Eatmon leaving the area. Harper had already left the field of view of the surveillance video.
Harper and Eatmon, who have amassed a large following on TikTok where they and others on the platform share videos of the couple’s life, were arrested and arraigned on Tuesday. Both are currently each being held on $10,000 bond.
The adjacent Canaan United Methodist Church sustained more than $10,000 in estimated damage as a result of the blaze, according to the complaint.
