Internet Personalities Charged with Arson in West Virginia Church and Home Fire

A Charleston, West Virginia, couple known for their internet presence has been arrested and charged with arson in connection with a fire that destroyed an abandoned home and damaged a nearby church. Dakota Harper, 21, and Felicity Eatmon, 22, face charges of conspiracy to commit arson and first-degree arson.

The blaze was reported around 11:15 p.m. on Sunday on Maryland Avenue in Kanawha County. The fire consumed an abandoned house and caused an estimated $10,000 in damages to the Canaan United Methodist Church.

Investigators allege that surveillance video captured Eatmon handing Harper a lit piece of paper, which was then placed inside the home. The couple was reportedly seen partially entering the property as the fire grew before leaving the area, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

Harper and Eatmon, who collectively have over 26,000 followers on TikTok, have been documenting their daily lives on the platform. They are currently being held at the South-Central Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.

Brian Hunt, a Republican candidate for Mayor of Charleston, commented on the incident, linking it to broader issues of homelessness and vacant properties in the city. "The fire that destroyed an abandoned home highlights two challenges our city can no longer ignore: dangerous vacant properties and the growing homelessness crisis," Hunt stated in a press release.

Court documents indicate that Harper and Eatmon were previously arrested in June on misdemeanor charges of property damage and conspiracy.

A preliminary hearing for the current charges is scheduled for October 5, presided over by Judge Leslie Grace. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison for first-degree arson and 25 years for felony conspiracy.