10-year-old Staten Island girl injured in fireworks accident, Parks Department employee arrested

A 10-year-old girl on Staten Island was injured in a fireworks accident Tuesday night, and now a New York City Parks Department employee is under arrest. 

Police sources say the girl found what appears to be an M-80 firework at around 6:45 p.m. at Gen. Douglas MacArthur Park in the Midland section of Staten Island.

According to a criminal complaint, the girl approached Parks employee Joshua Moe, 24, and asked him for a lighter to light a firework.

Moe allegedly lit the firework for her while the girl was still holding it, and the firework exploded in her hand, the criminal complaint says.

Police sources say the girl lost several fingers and suffered burns. She was taken to a local hospital.

According to the criminal complaint, Moe admitted to giving the girl the lighter, saying, in part, "I didn't think this would have happened ... I wanted to make them happy and have fun."

Moe was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment. 

The Parks Department said it will investigate the matter internally.