'Molotov Cocktail' used to set home on fire with others inside, police say

YADKINVILLE, N.C. — Authorities said a Statesville man who's accused of trying to set an occupied mobile home on fire with a "Molotov Cocktail" has been arrested.

Matthew Franklin Ward, 41, and an accomplice drove to Yadkinville after a family dispute escalated, according to police.

Investigators with the Yadkinville Police Department said Ward used an improvised incendiary device that was made with a bottle and combustible liquid to set the outside of the residence on fire.

Ward's stepfather and three other people were inside the home. Police said the stepfather and the other occupants ran from the home and fought the flames until the fire department arrived.

Ward was charged with several offenses, including first-degree arson and attempted first-degree murder.

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Associated Press