Trending
PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Sheriff's Department is looking for a man wanted for attempted murder of his mother and later setting the house on fire.
Around 8 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the area of 1882 Buckner Bend Road on a report of a domestic situation in which a female was stabbed in the head, according to the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
The department is looking for Charles Clinton Hess IV, 23, who is accused of assaulting his mother with a knife causing non-life-threatening wounds to her scalp, according to a press release from the sheriff's office. The suspect fled the area on foot before deputies arrived. Deputies along with a police dog unit searched the area and attempted to track the suspect, but could not, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies, who obtained a warrant for attempted murder for Hess, throughout the day attempted to locate Hess at the residence, however no one was there, the sheriff's office said.
At 2:12 a.m. Monday, Wood County 911 was notified of a structure fire at the address of the residence, the sheriff's office said. No one was home at the time of the fire, the sheriff's office said.
Waverly, Deerwalk, Eastwood, Mineral Wells and Elizabeth volunteer fire departments responded and found the house fully engulfed upon arrival, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies secured the scene before firefighters entered the area and fire departments extinguished the blaze, however, the house was determined to be a total loss, the sheriff's office said.
"It is believed that Mr. Hess had returned to the residence and is a contributing factor to the fire," the press release said.
The fire is under investigation by the Wood County Fire Investigations Team and the sheriff's office Detective Bureau.
Hess is described as being a male, white, 5-foot 9 with blue eyes and blonde hair.
The sheriff's department is advising people to immediately notify Wood County 911 if Hess is spotted. He is being considered armed and dangerous and the department is advising people not to approach him, but to call 911.