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Teen sets home on fire by mistake, family barely escapes, police say

SHELBY, N.C. — A family had to escape out a window after a teen set their home on fire in Shelby Friday morning, police said.

Investigators said 18-year-old Zanden Cox was targeting a different home and hit this family's house by mistake.

Authorities said they believe Cox was upset over a girl and began targeting the home a couple of weeks ago by allegedly leaving notes and, at one point, flattening a tire.

Channel 9 was told the victims left notes saying the girl didn’t live there, but the home was still set on fire.

As a result of all this, the judge raised Cox’s bail to $1 million from $250,000.