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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (BFMG) — An Indiana man is facing an arson charge after investigators say he cut off his own genitals and used them to start a fire inside a detached garage.
Christopher Peden, 36, of Fort Wayne, is charged with one count of arson, a Level 4 felony that carries a potential prison sentence of up to 12 years, according to court records.
Fort Wayne firefighters were dispatched May 6 to a garage fire while police responded to a reported stabbing at about the same time, investigators said. Officers encountered a man identified as Peden, who initially told police he had been stabbed somewhere downtown and said he had been threatened the previous day.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Peden later recanted that account, telling investigators he had been “dishonest” and wanted to be truthful. He allegedly said he went into the garage around 2 a.m., used a kitchen knife to cut off his genitals, poured gasoline on them and set them on fire on the floor just inside the door before walking away and eventually contacting police.
Investigators said they found a gasoline container, four lighters and a kitchen knife at the scene of the fire. Court documents do not indicate whether investigators recovered the severed organ.
Peden is scheduled to return to court next week to set dates for trial proceedings.
