13-year-old lit student’s hoodie on fire during class and faces felony, Florida cops say

A 13-year-old student faces a felony charge after police say he lit a classmate’s hoodie on fire during school, according to a Florida police department.

Police arrested the student at the North Tampa Alternative School at around 1 p.m. on Sept. 14, according to a news release from the Tampa Police Department.

The student had used a lighter to set fire to his classmate’s hoodie, the release says. When the classmate felt the heat, he started slapping at his back to put out the fire. He was not injured but had a 3-inch burn hole in his sweatshirt, police said.

Officers arrested the student. He is facing a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, which is a felony, according to police. He was also charged with disruption of a school function, which is a misdemeanor.

A spokeswoman for the North Tampa Alternative School directed media inquiries to the police department.

The school, also known as the North Tampa Epic 3 Center, serves students in grades 6 through 12, according to U.S. News and World Report. The school’s total enrollment is 51 students, according to the agency.