BILLINGS- The Bilings mother of a 12-year-old boy accused of starting his own house on fire last month is speaking out, saying she believes her son needs help.
Lisa Polesky said she is the mother of the boy who police said started a fire on Yellowstone Avenue on Sept. 18 in Billings.
Polesky spoke openly about her family and her son, saying he is a sensitive boy who she raised to be respectful.
“He barely swore. I mean he did get into fights in school, but… he was always getting picked on and bullied. He’s very sensitive. He cries a lot,” said Polesky.
She said she believes he’s not capable of doing what he’s accused of doing.
Polesky said she does not have custody of her children and only sees her boys through supervised visits. She did say she recently visited the boy in juvenile detention in Yellowstone County.
She said her son sleepwalks sometimes and has a typical boy temper.
“He does have a temper. I’m not going to lie about that. That boy does. He kind of gets that from me. He hasn’t learned how to not react when he gets upset,” said Polesky.
On Sept. 18, Billings firefighters responded to a house fire on the 2100 block of Yellowstone Avenue, where 4 adults and two children were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation and burns.
A 9-year-old boy, also Polesky’s son, was flown to Utah for his injuries, he has since returned home to Montana and is recovering.
After an investigation, Billings police determined it was intentionally set, identifying Polesky’s 12-year-old boy as the alleged arsonist.
Now she said her biggest worry is getting him the psychological help he will need going forward.
The boy was taken to youth services and remains in custody.
The case has been referred to Yellowstone County Prosecutors Office, which did not immediately return a call for comment. Q2 News will update this story with any response.
