Man wanted for attempted murder in Wood County | News, Sports, Jobs

Charles Clinton Hess (photo provided)

PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Sheriff’s Department is searching for a man wanted for attempting to murder his mother and later setting fire to the house.

At around 8 a.m. Sunday morning, officers responded to the area of ​​1882 Buckner Bend Road after a domestic dispute was reported in which a woman had been stabbed in the head, according to the Wood County Sheriff's Office.

The department is searching for Charles Clinton Hess IV, 23, who is accused of attacking his mother with a knife, causing non-life-threatening wounds to her head, according to a sheriff's office news release. The suspect fled the area on foot before officers arrived. Officers, along with a canine unit, searched the area in an attempt to locate the suspect, but were unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.

Officers who had obtained an arrest warrant for Hess on attempted murder charges spent the day trying to locate Hess at the apartment, but no one was there, the sheriff's office said.

At 2:12 a.m. Monday, Wood County 911 was notified of a structure fire at the residence's address, the sheriff's office said. No one was home at the time of the fire, the sheriff's office said.

Volunteer fire departments from Waverly, Deerwalk, Eastwood, Mineral Wells and Elizabeth responded to the scene and found the home fully engulfed in flames upon arrival, the sheriff's office said.

Officials secured the scene before firefighters arrived and put out the fire. However, the house was declared a total loss, the sheriff's office said.

“It is believed that Mr. Hess returned to the residence and contributed to the fire,” says the press release.

The fire is currently being investigated by the Wood County Fire Investigations Team and the Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau.

Hess is described as male, white, 5'9″ tall, with blue eyes and blonde hair.

The Sheriff's Department advises people to call 911 immediately in Wood County if Hess is spotted. He is considered armed and dangerous and the department advises people not to approach him and to call 911 instead.