Tyler

Man arrested for child neglect in Main Street fire case

BUCKHANNON – A Buckhannon man who allegedly left a needle within reach of his three young children and was not home when a fire broke out at the family’s Main Street apartment was arrested for child neglect Wednesday.

The Buckhannon Police Department had been searching for Melvin A. Tyler Jr., 29, since the day the apartment he lived in with his three children – a five-year-old, six-year-old and seven-year-old – caught on fire.

According to a previous story, the fire occurred at about 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, and was contained to one room in an apartment above Merle Norman and the Pink Hydrangea at 11 1/2 E. Main St.

The criminal complaint, filed by Patrolman Angel McCauley, charges Tyler with child neglect creating risk of serious injury, a felony.

According to the file, when McCauley responded to the Main Street to assist the Buckhannon Fire Department with a structure fire, she found the three children and their grandfather behind the building. The grandfather reportedly told police that one of the children had started the fire.

Law enforcement tried unsuccessfully to find Tyler, their father; however, he later showed up at the scene.

The fire department requested McCauley perform a ‘walk-through’ of the apartment because of “questionable items,” and when she did, McCauley allegedly found a plastic container holding several razor blades and an “uncapped loaded needle … within reach of the children.”

McCauley noted the grandfather suffered from psychological conditions that made him incapable of supervising the children, and that their father, Tyler, was aware of the conditions. When police talked with the grandfather after the fire was put out, he told them that he had been taking a nap on the couch in the Main Street apartment, and when he woke up, he discovered that Tyler had left the residence. The grandfather said he felt obligated to stay with the children so they wouldn’t be alone.

“He also stated they were getting ready to ride hover boards when [one of the children] came into the room and told him there was a fire,” McCauley wrote in the report. “After attempting to put it out, [the grandfather] made sure the kids got out of the building safely. “

“Several family members stated that Melvin (Tyler) has a history of disappearing for hours and the kids are often left with whoever will watch them with no regards to the children’s personal safety,” the report says.

The complaint also notes that the owners of a Main Street business had filed complaints about the children being left unsupervised for multiple-hour periods. While on patrol, officers with the city police department have often seen the children unsupervised, the file says.

Tyler was also charged with being a person prohibited from possessing a firearm, a misdemeanor, related to a May 5, 2020, incident, according to a second criminal complaint filed by Sgt. William Courtney with the BPD.

Bail was set at $35,000 cash or surety, and Tyler remained incarcerated as of Thursday evening.

Featured

SHOPS & SERVICES

Buckhannon man held on $100,000 bail after being arrested on multiple drug charges

BUCKHANNON – A Buckhannon man was arrested Saturday after several illegal substances were allegedly found in his residence. Bryan Shaw, 41, of Buckhannon, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver heroin, possession with […]

Become a premium member to unlock immediate access to this story and thousands more. Plus you’ll wake up every morning to our email edition. Your subscription supports local news by local writers. Signing up is easy — just tap the button below!

Buckhannon City Council approves $6.5 million-dollar budget prioritizing public safety, infrastructure

BUCKHANNON – City council passed the largest budget in Buckhannon’s history Tuesday, with the two largest allocations once again earmarked for public safety operations and infrastructure maintenance, respectively. At its March 14 meeting – rescheduled from March 16 due to […]

Become a premium member to unlock immediate access to this story and thousands more. Plus you’ll wake up every morning to our email edition. Your subscription supports local news by local writers. Signing up is easy — just tap the button below!

Police arrest man they say was the driver in 2022 pursuit that ended in a wreck with two people ejected

BUCKHANNON – A Rock Cave man was arrested for allegedly fleeing from police officers in a vehicle, injuring himself and a passenger. Elijah Carpenter, 27, of Rock Cave was arrested Thursday for fleeing from an officer and fleeing or attempting […]

Become a premium member to unlock immediate access to this story and thousands more. Plus you’ll wake up every morning to our email edition. Your subscription supports local news by local writers. Signing up is easy — just tap the button below!

SHOPS & SERVICES

Softball Lady Bucs get one-hit by Lincoln’s Haller in debut in 10-0 setback

TENNERTON – For their season opener, the Buckhannon-Upshur softball Lady Bucs ran into one of the top pitchers in the state in Lincoln’s Delaney Haller. Haller was the Big 10 Conference Pitcher of the Year last season and was captain […]

Become a premium member to unlock immediate access to this story and thousands more. Plus you’ll wake up every morning to our email edition. Your subscription supports local news by local writers. Signing up is easy — just tap the button below!

Baseball ‘Cats get home doubleheader split with ABU

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan baseball team split with the Alderson Broaddus Battlers Monday, winning 7-2 in the first game and losing 7-0 in the second game. The bats were alive in Game

Inexperienced tennis Bucs fall in first two outings of 2023 season

BRIDGEPORT – The Buckhannon-Upshur tennis Buccaneers dropped their first two outings of the year last week. They opened their season at home last Thursday with a 7-0 setback to Robert C. Byrd and then went to Bridgeport Saturday and dropped […]

Become a premium member to unlock immediate access to this story and thousands more. Plus you’ll wake up every morning to our email edition. Your subscription supports local news by local writers. Signing up is easy — just tap the button below!

Lady Buc netters open season with win over Robert C. Byrd and narrow loss to John Marshall

BRIDGEPORT – The Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Buc tennis team is off to a 1-1 start to the season and was just an eyelash away from being a perfect 2-0. The Lady Bucs hosted Robert C. Byrd last Thursday and won a […]

Become a premium member to unlock immediate access to this story and thousands more. Plus you’ll wake up every morning to our email edition. Your subscription supports local news by local writers. Signing up is easy — just tap the button below!

SHOPS & SERVICES

Working in service: WVU research reaches all of West Virginia

Breakthroughs and research expertise nurtured at West Virginia University extend far beyond its labs, experimental sites and classrooms. In fact, WVU research efforts are unique compared to most universities, according to Vice President for Research Fred King. “While

Fairmont State University selects 2023 Presidential Scholarship winners

Three incoming Fairmont State University freshmen have been selected as the recipients of Fairmont State’s premier academic scholarship, the Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship. Sophie Stuart from Jefferson High School (Charles town, W.VA), Hailey Jordan

WVDEP hosting students on World Water Day

CHARLESTON, WV – In an effort to enrich students’ understanding of the importance of clean water, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is hosting a water education event for area grade schools on