Man Suspected of Setting Fire to his Home, Killing Dog

Officials suspect a man of setting fire to his apartment and killing his own dog in what officials describe as a fire “a bizarre twist.” While investigators looked into the cause, the resident arrived at the apartment naked, bloody and soaking wet.

At about 1:15 a.m. early this morning, the Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services were called to the scene of apartment fire at Park Lake apartments at 2011 Park Lake Lane in Peachtree Corners. 

When they arrived at the ground floor unit, the fire, which had been contained to the kitchen, was already out. No one was found inside the home.  But, firefighters did find is a small, deceased dog.  “The dog appeared to have died from traumatic wounds and not from the fire,” said Fire Department Cpt. Tommy Rutledge in a release.

As police and firefighters were looking into the cause of the fire, a man in his early 20s who lives at the apartment arrived. “He was unclothed, bloody and soaked with water,” according to Rutledge. “He also had signs of (fresh) self-inflicted wounds on his body.”

Investigators think that the man killed the dog and started the fire, then jumped into a small lake in the apartment complex, according to the release.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center by ambulance. Investigators will continue to look into the motive and sequence of events, according to Rutledge, and will charge the man with First Degree Arson and Cruelty to Animals.

A police helicopter and Swiftwater Rescue Team searched the area around the lake to be sure no other people were involved in the strange string of event.

The man lives with his mother, who was not home at the time of the incident. No additional injuries were reported.