OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — A man in Okaloosa County is facing several charges, including child cruelty, after he threw lit firecrackers under a sleeping child's bed as a prank, the sheriff's office says.
Matthew Morrison, 44, told deputies it was a "prank gone wrong." The 9-year-old victim told deputies the prank scared her to the point of crying and shaking, according to the sheriff's office.
Morrison was living in a tent outside of the Godfrey Street home, according to the homeowner.
Deputies say on Saturday morning he entered the home without permission and threw the string of lit firecrackers under the sleeping child's bed.
The homeowner then chased Morrison out of the home with a stick, according to deputies.
When deputies took Morrison into custody they found two grams of methamphetamine in his pocket. He is charged with child cruelty without great harm, burglary and possession of a controlled substance.
