Mother arrested after home set ablaze by son

ALBANY — An East Albany home was badly damaged and a mother was put in jail on Saturday after her son set a fire in the home in her absence.

Officers with the Albany Police Department riding in the area observed heavy smoke in the area of 2014 Leonard Ave. and responded to the location and discovered the residence on fire. The Albany Fire Department was dispatched and extinguished the fire, said Phyllis Banks, spokeswoman for the APD.

Officers found a child, a 10-year-old boy, in the yard where the residence was on fire, Banks said.

A shift report available from the AFD said firefighters responded at 10:26 a.m on Saturday. AFD Arson Investigator Sam Harris said the fire was started when the child was playing with matches in the bedroom.

Officer spoke with the child, who said his mother, Ruecille Sharper, went to the store and she should be coming back. Several attempts were made to locate Sharper at businesses in the area before she returned home some time later.

Sharper was arrested for reckless conduct and transported to the Dougherty County Jail, Banks said. The AFD shift report indicated that the American Red Cross was called in to assist those displaced as a result of the fire.