Investigators say surveillance video showed the pair setting paper on fire and placing it inside an abandoned West Virginia home before flames spread and damaged a nearby church.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Charleston couple with a sizable TikTok following has been arrested and charged with arson after investigators say they were caught on surveillance video setting fire to an abandoned home on the city’s West Side.
Dakota Harper, 21, and Felicity Eatmon, 22, were arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree arson and conspiracy to commit arson, according to WCHS Network.
The fire broke out around 11:15 p.m. Sunday at an abandoned home in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue. The structure continued to smolder into Monday morning.
Surveillance Video Cited in Criminal Complaint
According to a criminal complaint, surveillance footage showed Harper and Eatmon near a side door of the property before the blaze started.
Investigators allege Eatmon handed Harper a piece of paper before the two used a handheld ignition source to light it.
The burning paper was then allegedly placed inside the abandoned home.
As the fire developed, investigators say both suspects fled the area.
The home reportedly had no active utilities at the time, a detail investigators considered significant while determining how the fire started.
Nearby Church Sustained More Than $10,000 in Damage
Their arraignment went viral after it was broadcast on an ABC Fox Appalachia news broadcast. That video has been widely shared across multiple social media platforms and by countless influencers and content creators.
The blaze destroyed the abandoned residence and caused more than $10,000 in damage to nearby Canaan United Methodist Church, according to the criminal complaint.
The couple was arraigned Tuesday in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Both were being held at the South Central Regional Jail on $10,000 bond each.
Pair Has TikTok Following
Harper and Eatmon also operate a TikTok account with roughly 26,000 followers, according to local reporting.
Their arrests quickly drew attention online after details of the allegations and portions of their court appearance began circulating on social media.
Neither has been convicted, and the charges remain allegations as the case moves through the court system.
A motive for the alleged fire had not been publicly disclosed as of Wednesday.
