A Buffalo father has been sentenced to five years probation for starting a house fire that caused the death of his son.
According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, 54-year-old Joseph Conti admitted to lighting a cigarette with a blowtorch inside his Benzinger Street home in January 2018.
Prosecutors say he set the blowtorch on a bed, which ignited a mattress. The fire spread throughout the house.
Conti's 7-year-old son, Anthony, was found inside the home by firefighters. He was taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital where he later died from smoke inhalation. Several family members were able to escape the fire.
In August 2018, Conti pleaded guilty to one count of criminally negligent homicide.
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