JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said a man was arrested and charged with arson as well as aggravated animal cruelty Monday, after a fire in a camper led to the death of a dog.
They said deputies were called to the fire at around 1:51 p.m. on Hodge's Switch Road. When they arrived, they said they found a camper fully engulfed in fire parked near a mobile home. They said by the time they arrived, the fire had spread to a section of the mobile home. It had moderate damage by the time crews extinguished it.
They said bystanders told them a man was making threats before the fire and that he left walking towards Old Andrew Johnson Highway. Deputies later found Corey Allen Wells, 36, in some nearby woods. They said his statement and evidence "on his person" led to his arrest.
JCSO also said there was an ongoing dispute with the couple who stayed in the camper. They also said the couple had a dog in the camper that died because of the fire.
Wells is being held at the Jefferson County Detention Center, according to JCSO.