Man faces charges in Bel Aire house fire that killed his father
A 41-year-old Bel Aire man has been charged in connection with a house fire Sunday that killed his father, court records show.
Joshua Gentry has been charged with one count of aggravated arson and one count of reckless involuntary manslaughter, according to a complaint filed in Sedgwick County District Court on Wednesday.
Court records identified his father as 67-year-old Timothy W. Gentry of Bel Aire.
Emergency crews responded shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday to a report of a house fire with a person trapped inside at 5917 Flagstaff in Bel Aire.
Fire crews arrived and found smoke and flames coming from the home. Firefighters found smoke and flames coming from the home. Timothy Gentry was found inside. He was taken to a hospital where he died, Sedgwick County Fire Marshal Brad Crisp said.
The younger Gentry was found standing outside in the front yard with burn injuries. He was taken to the hospital, released, interviewed by police and then booked into jail.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The home is considered a total loss estimated at $120,000, with contents estimated at $40,000.
Gentry is due to appear in court again on Sept. 9, court records show. He remained in jail Wednesday evening on a $250,000 bond.
