A Coney Island grandmother is facing criminal charges after an 11-year-old autistic boy who was left home alone perished in a fire yesterday. Investigators believe Melinda McLain was at the store when Tavon Turpin began playing with matches or a lighter in a closet of their 15th-floor apartment and set the fire that took his life.
McLain was treated for smoke inhalation and charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Post. Firefighters responded to the blaze just after noon and found the child unconscious inside the residence, the Times reports. Witness Anthony Artist said firefighters tried to save the boy. "They were pumping his chest," Artist said. "They had an oxygen tank on him and they were trying to revive him. He was covered from head to toe in soot ... It hurts. I used to put him on the school bus. Everybody loved him. He was like everybody's kid."
According to Donna Clarke, who would see the 11-year-old when she visited relatives, the boy appeared happy and well cared for. However she couldn't fathom leaving him home alone. "You never leave your child alone at 11 years old, especially if he's autistic," she said. "He can't help himself."
