A man has been charged with arson after telling police investigating a garage fire that he had cut off his own genitals and set them alight. Christopher Peden, 36, is facing a hearing on August 31 after being charged with arson following a blaze in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, on May 6.
Incident details
The local fire department responded to reports of a fire at a detached suburban garage, and police also responded to reports of a stabbing at the same location. According to court documents, when Peden was found by officers and taken to hospital, he claimed he had been stabbed.
Papers reveal he later told investigators that he had been "dishonest." Fox59 news site reports Peden said he "wanted to be truthful" about the cause of the fire. Local US news reports state that documents show Peden said he went to the garage and "harmed himself" by "cutting off his penis" with a kitchen knife.
Evidence and charges
In a horrifying detail, it is said Peden poured gasoline on the removed bodily appendage and "set it on fire on the floor of the garage just inside the door." Police collected a number of items from the garage, including a red plastic petrol container, four lighters, and a kitchen knife.
According to Wane.com news site, Peden's brother James Peden, aged 42, has also since been charged with arson for allegedly attempting to set fire to his sibling's car. It is reported James Peden denied the charges and claimed the blaze was started by a dropped cigarette.
