A 15-year-old boy accused of setting fire to his home in upstate New York and killing his father and two brothers has been indicted on murder and arson charges.
Michale Pilato is being tried as an adult and was charged Friday with six counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and second degree arson.
The early morning fire in the Rochester suburb of Webster on December 7 killed Michael Pilato's adoptive father, Carmen, 71, and his brothers, 16-year-old Peter and 12-year-old Joshua.
Charged: Michael Pilato, 15, was charged Friday with murdering his father and two brothers while burning down the family home
His mother Elaine, 59, and his 13-year-old sister Elizabeth escaped with injuries.
Pilato did not avert his gaze as he walked into the Monroe County grand jury on Friday but kept silent.
Pilato's attorney declined to comment on specifics about the case.
Investigators say the high school sophomore admitted dousing his home with gasoline and setting it ablaze with the intention of causing deaths.
The fire was reported by neighbors around 1am on December 7, and allegedly Pilato had fled the scene after starting the blaze.
Trapped: Michael Pilato's father and two brothers were caught on the second floor of their Webster, New York house during the December 7 fire
Sad arrival: The father and one son were pronounced dead at the scene and the second son died at hospital; the mother and sister survived
Injured but alive: Elaine Pilato, 59, was hospitalized for a week after the fire but was released
The father, Carmen, and one son were pronounced dead at the scene, and the second son was taken to a nearby hospital before being deemed dead. Elaine and Elizabeth were standing outside the house when the fire fighters arrived.
Elaine was hospitalized and released from the hospital after a week of being treated from unspecified injuries, while Elizabeth was released shortly after the fire as she had sustained an ankle injury after jumping out a window during her escape.
Because of the circumstances, he was charged with three counts of intentional murder and three counts of murder committed during another felony due to the arson.
Initial reports said that he was going to be tried as a juvenile offender, which would have lessened the severity of his sentence, but today's indictment proved otherwise. His sentence will come after the trial.
Tragic: Police report that Michael Pilato fled the scene after lighting the fire and neighbors were the ones to call the fire department
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