NORTH ADAMS, MA — A North Adams man was arraigned Tuesday on an arson charge in connection with a fire that killed two people.
Darius Hazard, 44, of North Adams, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on one charge of arson in connection with the Nov. 24 fire.
The fire led to the death of Venture Hazard, 76, and Donald Hazard, 83.
Hazard was also arrested for the murder of Venture Hazard and the murder of Donald Hazard.
He will be arraigned Wednesday morning at Northern Berkshire District Court in connection to the murders.
Hazard was brought into custody Monday afternoon.
He confessed that in the early morning hours of Monday, he physically assaulted his parents, Venture and Donald Hazard, inside their home.
Following the physical assault, Hazard also confessed that he poured gasoline on the first floor of the home and set the house ablaze.
Hazard reported this took place between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
After allegedly setting the house aflame, Hazard drove away from the house.
A 911 call was placed by a neighbor at approximately 7:11 a.m. reporting a possible structure fire.
North Adams Police were the first to arrive on the scene.
An officer noted immense heat coming from the residence and attempted to make contact with individuals inside.
The North Adams Fire Department arrived shortly after.
Firefighters immediately entered the residence to locate the individuals inside the house and began fighting the fire.
When firefighters located two individuals inside the residence they were both deceased.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death for both Venture and Donald Hazard was smoke inhalation.
While responding to the scene for the fire, law enforcement learned that a third individual, Darius Hazard, also resided in the house; however, he was not present at the scene and his car was missing.
There was a dry spot in the driveway where Hazard’s car was normally parked indicating that he was at the house somewhat recently.
It had rained the prior evening.
A “Be on the Look Out” was issued for Hazard and his vehicle.
Hazard was scheduled to arrive at work at 10 a.m.; however, he did not appear.
Fellow employees noted this was extremely unusual as Hazard was always prompt for his shift.
At approximately 2 p.m., a State Police Detective observed a vehicle matching that of Hazard’s traveling south on Route 7.
The vehicle had pulled into the Wal Mart parking lot, and the license plate number confirmed the vehicle belonged to Hazard.
At that point law enforcement approached the vehicle and brought Darius Hazard into custody without incident.
Law enforcement response included the North Adams Police Department, the North Adams Fire Department; Northern Berkshire Emergency Medical Services; the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office; the Department of Fire Services; Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section; and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab.
