MADISON COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – The Madison County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on Sunday after deputies responded to a call in connection to a structure fire.
Deputies responded to 1981 Ivy Hill Road in Marshall about the fire.
According to deputies, at the time of the fire, one man was inside the home along with two dogs. The man was able to escape the burning home but the two dogs were not able to make it out of the home.
Upon further investigation, deputies said the fire appeared to be suspicious. The home was secured by deputies until a search warrant could be issued. Detectives executed the search warrant, along with the Buncombe County Arson Task Force and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, who examined the fire scene.
The two dogs remains were transported to the Western Disease Diagnostic Lab for examination. As a result of the examination, Jesse Ray Marler was arrested and charged with arson and felony cruelty to animals.
Marler is currently being held in the Madison County Detention Center with a $100,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
