CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A grand jury in Catawba County has indicted a man in connection with five arsons north of Conover. Channel 9′s Dave Faherty learned two women have also been charged in connection with two of the fires.
The map below shows where those fires took place over a more than two-year period in Catawba County. Investigators said there were five fires at four locations; one location was burned twice.
Sheriff’s deputies estimate they caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Several departments fought each of the fires over the last couple of years and very early on, investigators suspected they were set.
In one case, firefighters said they could see the smoke north of Conover for miles before arriving on the scene along Houston Mill Road. It is one of the five arson cases they’ve worked since the spring of 2021.
Just a couple of miles away, Dwayne Mullins lives along Rifle Range Road. His next door neighbor’s home caught on fire last October and he immediately thought it could have been intentionally set.
“This is where the blaze was and it was hot,” Mullins said. “It was almost like there were arrows pointing, right here is where it started.”
The grand jury indicted Tad Navey for arson in four of the fires and burning a building in a fifth case. The two women who deputies say knew Navey were also charged with first-degree arson in two of the fires.
“It seems to be domestic-related between the parties involved,” said Catawba County Sherriff’s Office Maj. Aaron Turk. “These were major fires. I’m told all the residences were completely destroyed.”
The St. Stephens Volunteer Fire Department responded to nearly all of the fires. The chief said arsons put firefighters and the public at unnecessary risk.
“We go into this job knowing the risk,” Chief Shawn Greene said. “However, when it’s ‘cause it’s specifically on purpose, it only makes it that much worse.”
Dwayne Mullins had to move out of his home because of the damage. He is thankful deputies made the arrests in the case.
“If they were like a serial arsonist, absolutely they need to pay for what they have done,” he said.
According to the indictments, in some of the cases, people were at home when those fires started.
(WATCH BELOW: Neighbors deal with collateral damage after arson at vacant home)
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