PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — As a 5-year-old boy from Armstrong County continues to recover from severe burns at UPMC Mercy Hospital, his father is facing charges for the alleged attempted theft of hospital property.

According to the boy’s cousin, 5-year-old Anthony James Skursky of Kittanning underwent surgery on Friday.

He suffered burns on the upper part of his body as he and his 10-year-old friend were playing with a lighter in the living room of the Rayburn Manor apartment of the older boy’s mother.

“I’ve never seen anything like that. He was in pretty bad shape,” said Catherine Brison, Skursky’s cousin. “He was a little trooper though. He wasn’t crying. He was just, you know, ‘it hurts, it hurts.’”

Brison said the child is doing better.

“This morning he had some surgery done, got some skin grafts done,” said Brison. “My aunt called me and let me know that everything went okay with the surgery and he’s doing all right.”

But Pittsburgh Police arrested Skursky’s father at the hospital. They say he is accused of trying to steal Xbox and PlayStation video game equipment from a hospital waiting room.

He is facing criminal mischief and theft charges.

State Police at Kittanning say the investigation is continuing.

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