A Charleston, West Virginia couple who built a large online following through viral social media videos have been charged with first-degree arson and conspiracy after authorities accused them of setting fire to an abandoned house that also damaged a neighboring church. Dakota Harper, 21, and Felicity Eatmon, 22, were arrested on September 29, 2026, and the case quickly drew widespread attention because of their existing internet notoriety.
According to court documents and local reporting, the fire was reported around 11:15 p.m. on September 27, 2026, at a vacant property in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue on Charleston’s West Side. The house had no active utilities and was unoccupied. Investigators later determined that the blaze caused roughly $10,000 in fire and smoke damage to the adjacent Canaan United Methodist Church.
Surveillance video obtained by authorities allegedly shows the couple in a nearby alleyway shortly before the fire started. According to the criminal complaint, Eatmon can be seen handing Harper what appears to be a piece of paper. Harper then allegedly ignited the paper and placed it inside the abandoned home. Footage reportedly shows the pair partially entering the structure as flames grew before they left the area.
Harper and Eatmon had already become familiar figures online before the arrest. Harper, who stands 3 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 43 pounds according to jail records, and Eatmon, who is 5 feet 1 inch tall, frequently appeared together in TikTok videos. Eatmon maintained her own account with tens of thousands of followers, while much of their wider visibility came through the content of Charleston influencer Jake Griffith, known online as @korcle. Griffith, who has more than 1.1 million Instagram followers, began documenting his efforts to help Harper after the younger man experienced periods of homelessness beginning in 2024. He later filmed their relationship, including their first date, producing videos that regularly attracted millions of views. A dedicated subreddit tracking the couple has grown to more than 62,000 members.
Videos of the couple’s court appearances rapidly circulated online. Footage from their September 29 arraignment surpᴀssed 21 million views on Instagram. A subsequent hearing appearance by Eatmon, shown in an orange jumpsuit, gathered more than 13 million views within two days. The online reaction produced a wave of memes and edited clips featuring the pair.
In comments provided to USA TODAY, Griffith described the news of the arrest as “genuinely disappointing.” He recalled speaking with Harper a few days earlier and encouraging him to make better choices, telling him he was capable of proving people wrong. After learning of the arson charges, Griffith said Harper had surprised people, though not in the way he had hoped. He added that he does not condone illegal behavior but holds no personal hatred toward either of them and hopes both eventually receive the support they need.
At an initial court hearing on October 6, Harper’s bond was increased from $10,000 to $20,000, while Eatmon’s bond remained at $10,000. Both were held at the South Central Regional Jail. As of early reports, no formal plea had been entered and no preliminary hearing date had been publicly confirmed.
The case illustrates how online visibility can rapidly amplify a local criminal investigation. What began as an alleged arson involving a vacant property and damage to a church became a widely discussed story across social media platforms, driven by the couple’s existing digital presence and the viral spread of their court appearances.
Sources : USA TODAY
