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Father of Massena 5-year-old charged in connection with child’s death in 2017 fire

Posted 4/11/19

CANTON -- An indictment unsealed earlier this week in St. Lawrence County Court charges the father of a 5-year-old boy who died in a Massena house fire in 2017. Aiden M. Riley, 5, died in the fire at …

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Father of Massena 5-year-old charged in connection with child’s death in 2017 fire

Posted

CANTON -- An indictment unsealed earlier this week in St. Lawrence County Court charges the father of a 5-year-old boy who died in a Massena house fire in 2017.

Aiden M. Riley, 5, died in the fire at 2224 State Route 420 on Feb. 22 that year. His bedroom had been locked from the outside before the fire started. Firefighters rushed in and got the boy out, but he was pronounced dead after being taken to Massena Memorial Hospital.

On Monday, the unsealed indictment charged Aiden’s father, Michael Riley, with a felony count of aggravated family offense and a misdemeanor count of second-degree criminal contempt.

The indictment says the charges are for allegedly violating a court order barring him from allowing his son to be in the presence of any third party who had consumed drugs or alcohol within the previous 48 hours.

Aiden’s grandmother, Shari M. Caza, who owned the home where the boy died, is also facing charges.

The indictment charges her with criminally negligent homicide, a felony, and child endangerment, a misdemeanor. Investigators in 2017 said she locked the door to the boy’s bedroom after putting him to bed for the evening, so it could not be opened from within.