Teens fought over who would light the grill. One set the other on fire, cops say

An argument between two Virginia teens over who got to light the charcoal grill for a cookout ended with a 13-year-old squirting his companion with lighter fluid and setting him on fire, reported TV station WVEC.

Investigators in Newport News said a 14-year-old had to be hospitalized with second and third degree burns, the station reported.

The incident happened Sunday afternoon at Peterson’s Yacht Basin, a city park, where the two had been “dropped off” to cook at one of the nearby grills, officials told the Daily Press.

Investigators said what began as an argument over who got to light the charcoal escalated to a physical fight, at which point younger teen “doused” his companion with charcoal lighter fluid, the newspaper reported.

The 13-year-old then set fire to the older boy’s clothes, burning his chest and one arm, police told TV station WTKR.

A witness told WAVY he saw the 14-year-old “covered in flames” and running, before the teen fell to the ground and started tumbling to try and put out the fire.

The 13-year-old faces a charge of malicious bodily injury by means of any caustic substance, reported WTKR. Media outlets did not identify the teens due to their status as minors.

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 5:14 PM.