MINK SHOALS, W.Va. — A Kanawha County woman is in custody and police are still looking for her husband in connection with a set of bizarre incidents Thursday afternoon.
The series of events started with a 911 call which reported a two-year-old, naked, wandering along Ferndale Drive in the Mink Shoals. Kanawha County deputies responded.
“In the time between that 911 call and the deputies arriving to begin the investigation, apparently a lot happened,” said Sgt. Brian Humphreys with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.
According to investigators, Brad Acy Holley, 37, the father of the wayward toddler, took the child into the house. A short time later, Holley’s father-in-law, who lives nearby, showed up at his door to discuss another of Holley’s children — a four year old — who was also wandering unattended outside the home.
“At some point, Mr. Holley went to his father-in-law and struck him in the face with a pistol,” said Humphreys.
When deputies got to the scene, the Holley’s home was on fire. Brad Holley suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital. But, he was never treated. Holley jumped out of the ambulance when it arrived and fled on foot.
“There was a lot of confusion, getting that story pieced together from neighbors and family members and dealing with a fire scene as well, there’s a lot of chaos there,” Humphreys said. “We figure out the guy who just left is also a suspect in these incidents, so we send somebody down there (to the hospital). By the time we were able to make that decision, he had already left.”
Now Brad Holley is at large, but his wife Kama Holley, 33, was taken into custody Friday afternoon and charged with felony child neglect. She too had departed the scene when deputies arrived on the scene Thursday.
“Mrs. Holley left sometime during the incident and picked up a third child on foot,” said Humphreys. “She was able to get a ride from someone else and left the area.”
Brad Holley is similar child neglect charges. He also faces a charge of wanton endangerment over the confrontation with his father-in-law.
The fire is still under investigation by the state Fire Marshal. Two volunteer firefighters were injured battling the blaze.
Child Protective Services was called to the scene and is now handling the care of the children involved in the incident.