Man pleads not guilty of setting fire to woman's shih tzu

A Franklin man accused of setting fire to a woman’s shih tzu on March 11 was arraigned Monday and charged with simple arson and aggravated cruelty to animals.
Elton Fine, 23, pleaded not guilty. His bail is $10,000 with a bond reduction hearing scheduled for June 11. His trial is fixed for Sept. 8.
The owner of the dog told police a neighbor and another woman came to her house and told her that her dog was on fire, the affidavit for arrest said. The two women told her they had seen Fine hanging around the house and being abusive to the dog and then running from the house, the affidavit said.
The dog’s owner told a Franklin Fire Department fire investigator that she had a can of charcoal lighter fluid on her back porch, which was found to be partially empty, the affidavit said. The dog was described as receiving second- and third-degree burns to his face, eyes, side and back over approximately 50 percent of his body.
The investigator concluded in the affidavit that Fine had “poured charcoal lighter fluid on the dog and used an open flame ignition source (a lighter) to ignite the fire and cause injury to the dog.”
Fine has had several arrests since 2010 on charges that include theft, battery and drug possession.