Man arrested after spraying child with bleach, threatening to burn down house, deputies say

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — An Ormond Beach man is behind bars on Sunday, accused of aggravated child abuse and attempted arson after abusing a child, spraying him with bleach and soaking a bedroom in tiki torch fluid.

Deputies said 31-year-old Mack Arline was arrested Saturday morning after they responded to a home on Avenue E in Ormond Beach.

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The call was initiated at the request of the Daytona Beach Police Department after one of its officers was flagged down by a mother who show the officer a video of Arline pouring tiki torch fuel around their home and spraying a 4-year-old in the face with Clorox.

The woman told police that Arline was intoxicated and had threatened to burn down the house and kill their children.

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According to deputies, when they arrived, Arline was backing out the driveway with two of the children in the car.

Deputies said an 11-month-old, wearing only a diaper, was lying on Arline’s chest in front of the steering wheel, and a 2-year-old was in the front passenger seat, unrestrained.

When deputies checked on the 4-year-old still inside the house, they found him sleeping on a bedroom floor, with a Clorox spray bottle near him. In another bedroom, deputies found an empty bottle of tiki torch fuel on the bed, which was wet, as well as the furniture.

Deputies said when they reviewed the video, they watched Arline kick a plastic toy car into the 4-year-old as he slept, then sprayed him with bleach, telling him to wake up while using profanity and a racial slur.

Another video showed Arline empty the bottle of tiki torch fuel on the bed, furniture and carpet of the master bedroom.

Deputies took the children to safety and detained Arline, who smelled of alcohol and was not completely coherent.

Deputies also found an open bottle of Grey Goose vodka on the passenger floorboard of the car, and a plastic cup in the driver’s cup holder that smelled of alcohol.

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Arline was arrested and transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail on charges of aggravated child abuse, child abuse, attempted arson, DUI, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Arline was also on an inmate release status for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.

Arline remains held without bond at the Volusia County Jail.

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