- Manuel Rivera, 43, of Sayreville, New Jersey, has been charged with aggravated arson, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
- Police say they found Rivera outside Sayreville War Memorial High School next to a burning car containing his son’s body
- Authorities said additional charges are pending following the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report
A nine-year-old boy was found dead in a burning car after his father doused and set the vehicle on fire following a domestic dispute, authorities said.
Manuel Rivera, 43, of Sayreville, New Jersey, has been charged with aggravated arson, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police were called to the family home shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday and were told Rivera had left the home with his son, whose name was not released.
Around the same time, a fire was reported in the area of Sayreville War Memorial High School.
When police arrived at the school, they found Rivera next to a burning car that authorities said had been doused with gasoline.
He had burns to his body and a self-inflicted wound and was taken to a hospital.
The boy’s body was found in the vehicle, but it was not yet known whether he died in the fire or before it was ignited.
When police arrived at the school, seen here, they found Rivera next to a burning car that authorities said had been doused with gasoline
Sayreville Mayor Kennedy O’Brien said in a statement: “On this Good Friday, Sayreville wakes up to learn of a horrific incident that occurred overnight and is shaking our community to its core.
‘The loss of a nine-year-old child, allegedly at the hands of a parent. Every time such senseless violence involves one of our children, it has serious consequences for all of Sayreville.
“I want to assure you that the community is safe as the Sayreville Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office began a detailed investigation this morning.
“On behalf of a shocked and saddened community, I want to say that Sayreville stands in solidarity with the child and the family and friends who are enduring this unimaginable ordeal.”
Authorities said additional charges are pending following the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report.
Sayreville’s superintendent shared a statement confirming that the boy had attended Wilson School and that his father worked for the Sayreville Public Schools.
The statement read: ‘It is with great shock and sadness that I inform you that a Wilson School student was tragically killed last night in a car fire behind the Sayreville War Memorial High School.’