GARAGE FIRE LEADS TO ONE OF THE STRANGEST ARSON CASES I’VE EVER READ 😳
An Indiana man is facing a felony arson charge after investigators say a bizarre chain of events led to a garage fire in Fort Wayne.
According to court documents, 36 year old Christopher Peden initially told officers that he had been stabbed somewhere in downtown Fort Wayne and that someone had threatened him the day before.
Investigators say that story later changed.
While being treated at the hospital, Peden allegedly admitted that he had not been stabbed. Instead, according to the probable cause affidavit, he told officers that around 2 a.m. he used a kitchen knife to amputate his own gen*itals inside a garage. He then allegedly poured gasoline over the severed body part, ignited it, and walked away from the scene until he encountered police.
Fire investigators who examined the garage reported finding a gasoline container, four lighters, and a kitchen knife. Court records do not indicate whether the severed organ was recovered.
Peden has been charged with one count of arson. If convicted, the felony charge carries a potential sentence of up to 12 years in prison. He is expected back in court next week to schedule future trial proceedings.
This is one of those cases where the court documents are almost harder to believe than the headline.