Deputy recruit, child-care provider charged following boy's death

Updated at 7:45 p.m.

Two people are facing multiple charges of child neglect after a 4-year-old Locust Grove boy got ahold of a gun and shot himself to death.

On Monday, an Orange County grand jury issued indictments of child neglect and reckless handling of a firearm against 25-year-old Nicholas Joseph Stoia, a recruit with the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, and child-care provider Heather Christine Massey, 27. They were arrested that evening.

The charges are related to other children who were in the home at the time of the incident. There has been no word yet on any charges related to the deceased boy, Cole James Clark.

Massey faces one felony count of abuse or neglect of children, four felony counts of cruelty or injuries to children and four misdemeanor counts of recklessly handling or leaving a loaded firearm and endangering a child.

Stoia faces one felony count of abuse or neglect of children and four misdemeanor counts of recklessly handling or leaving a loaded firearm and endangering a child.

The incident happened at about 12:45 p.m.May 15 at the Cecilia Lane home of Massey and Stoia, who are engaged. Orange County deputies and rescue personnel attempted lifesaving measures, but Cole was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cole had been taken to his babysitter's house just an hour before he died, his parents said. A GoFundMe page, titled "Cole's Funeral Fund," has raised more than $24,000 to pay for funeral arrangements. Services were held over the weekend.

Stoia was not at home at the time of the incident, and the firearm involved was not his service weapon, authorities have said.

Stoia, 25, moved to Orange County from Spotsylvania and has been working with the Stafford County Sheriff's Office as a deputy recruit since December. Authorities did not say whether he still was enrolled in the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy.

According to court documents, Massey is unemployed and has lived in the Mine Run area since November. She previously lived in North Carolina and has no criminal history.

Both currently are being held without bond at the Central Virginia Regional Jail and are scheduled to appear in Orange County Circuit Court on Friday.

The Orange County Review contributed to this story.