The preacher father of a teenage volunteer firefighter charged with setting a blaze that burned a family to death on Long Island is speaking out in support of his son.
In an interview with Newsday, the Rev. Richard Lacey, of Lawrence, says he believes police treated the teen unfairly in a pair of interrogations that led to his confession.
Prosecutors have charged 19-year-old Caleb Lacey with lighting an apartment stairwell on fire in an attempt to start a blaze he would be called on to fight.
The February fire killed a mother and three of her children.
Police say the teen gave a videotaped confession. His father says police should have made sure the teen had a lawyer before questioning him.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
