North Carolina: Greg Carson, say police, beat his girlfriend, then set fire to her home, burning all of her pets alive

NORTH CAROLINA -- The Charlotte man suspected of burning a BJ Drive trailer in Conover was captured in Statesville Wednesday morning by the Statesville Police Department, according to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

SPD detectives along with Catawba County detectives were able to locate and arrest Carson on Marlou Street in Statesville, according to a statement from SPD Capt. Bryan Johnson.

Gregory James Carson will be interviewed in Statesville, then transported and processed by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office afterward, according to the sheriff’s office.

Carson is charged with one felony count each of second-degree arson, second-degree kidnapping and cruelty to animals. Carson also is charged with one misdemeanor count of assault on a female.

Reid said Carson is from the Charlotte area, but was living with his girlfriend who is the victim in this case.

FOX 46 Charlotte spoke with the victim Angela Dawn Griffin over the phone.

“I want him to pay for everything he did to us. That's all I want,” she said. “There was five [animals] in there. And he knew they was in there. He left them there to die.”

Arrest warrants state on July 4, the suspect assaulted the victim by “punching her” and “dragging her through the residence by her arm.”

Carson then set fire to Griffin’s residence in Conover and burned all of her pets alive.

The trailer fire killed two dogs, a flying squirrel and two fish, according to Carson’s warrant. The animals were inside the trailer at the time of the fire.

ARREST INFO:
Full name: GREGORY JAMES CARSON
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Date Confined: 7/12/2017
Address: HOMELESS, CHARLOTTE, NC
Agency: CATAWBA COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
Next Court Date: 10/2/2017
Charges:

1. WFA: F-SECOND DEGREE ARSON
2. WFA: F-SECOND DEGREE KIDNAPPING
3. WFA: F-CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
4. WFA: M-ASSAULT ON A FEMALE
5. INJURY TO REAL PROPERTY

(Hickory Record - July 12, 2017)