Investigators: Man intentionally set fire that killed 2 dozen horses

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A man is in jail and faces arson charges after a fire that ripped through a stable and killed two dozen horses.

Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes was at a news conference Wednesday where Clayton County officials announced the arrest.

Officials said 23-year-old Jonathan Espinoza-Vasquez intentionally set fire to the horse barn on Noah's Ark Road in Jonesboro on April 4as domestic retaliation, killing 24 horses and injuring one more.

Vasquez told police he didn't set the barn on fire, but investigators said his cellphone records prove that he did.

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Police said there were photos on his cellphone that have GPS locations less than a mile from where the fire took place on the night of the incident.

Investigators also said the owners of the horses have a daughter, and that daughter has a child with Vasquez.

Authorities said someone in the horse owner's family assaulted a relative of Vasquez, and they said Vasquez retaliated by killing the horses, and he may have had help.

“We believe there were some other members with him at the time. Like I said, it’s an ongoing investigation, and those members we’re going to aggressively investigate, and we’re going to bring them to justice as well,” said Clayton County Fire Chief David Vazquez.

Neighbors said the fire was very large.

“We looked across the street, and it was a big blaze, huge blaze,” said neighbor Karla Rosemond.

Channel 2's Tom Regan checked with the Georgia Department of Agriculture on fire safety requirements for stables. Department officials said the only requirement is that a fire extinguisher must be in an accessible location.

There are no requirements for sprinklers or smoke detectors.

Cox Media Group