Officials arrest Garrett County couple for setting house fire that killed 2 cats, endangered kennel of puppies
GARRETT COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) announced Wednesday that it arrested a couple in Garrett County for setting a fire that killed two cats in June of 2023.
Firefighters responded to a house fire at 339 Cherry Lane Rd. in Friendsville just after 7:15 a.m. on June 1, 2023.
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Two cats that were inside the house at the time died. Responders also found a kennel of six puppies on the front porch. According to OSFM, firefighters extinguished the blaze before it reached the puppies.
OSFM investigators determined that the fire had two different points of origin. Evidence and interviews led officials to identify Christopher J. Baker, 36, and April J. Fazenbaker, 41, as suspects. The couple lived in the home.
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OSFM worked with the Garrett County State’s Attorney’s Office to present the case to the grand jury. The couple was indicted on Monday and turned themselves in on Wednesday. They were released after posting a bond.
“After learning of this heartbreaking incident where the owners are accused of deliberately setting a fire that tragically led to the deaths of their cats and nearly killed a kennel of puppies, I am deeply saddened and appalled by this senseless act of cruelty,” Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray said in a release.
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