Autistic child, left alone, dies after setting fire

Authorities said an autistic child died in a fire that he apparently set while he was left alone in a Brooklyn apartment.

His grandmother was arrested after the Tuesday fire. The child who set the fire, Tavon Turpin, was pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital.

Police said Melinda McLain, 59, was charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.

The name of her attorney was not immediately on record Wednesday.

Neighbors said they often saw the pair walking to the bus stop before school. They described McLain as loving and devoted, and Turpin as a happy child.

- AP