Stockton Man Arrested In House Fire That Killed Three Dogs
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Police have arrested a man accused of setting fire to a Stockton home, killing three dogs inside.
Police say Zachary Hunt, 24, was arrested and is the son of the woman who lives at the home.
Firefighters said the woman who lived inside the home not only lost thousands of collectible items in the fire, but she also lost three of her beloved pets.
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Leo Serrano was asleep at home in downtown Stockton when he was suddenly awakened by screams from next door.
"It was frightening, my brother was the one over there helping her in the back, trying to break her free and trying to calm her down," said Serrano.
Firefighters were dispatched to this two-story Victorian home that was fully engulfed in flames. The woman who lived inside was able to get out safely, but her three dogs were found dead on the second floor.
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"That's terrible, it's a terrible loss, you know, they are their loved ones, their pets and stuff so I know they feel for them," he said.
The house fire is being treated as an arson investigation, leading to Hunt's arrest.
"The homeowners are okay, they are kind of in distraught right now, as every homeowner has a fire like this, when you lose everything it kind of hits you very hard and they don't know what they are going to do," said Nick Terlouw, Golden Coast Construction.
Investigators say the home had a room filled with collectible items all were destroyed in the fire. Police said Hunt now faces a handful of charges including attempted homicide, cruelty to animals, arson and resisting arrest.
"I would rank this up there as one of the toughest ones," said Terlouw.
Although the flames damaged a lot of the home, firefighters say it's not a complete loss. They are working to figure out a cause.
