Timothy Settles has been charged with arson after he allegedly set fire to a New London house just hours after his 1-month-old baby was mauled and killed by the family dog. The house in question was reportedly where his girlfriend, the mother of the baby, went to seek comfort with a friend after the incident took place.

According to a report by Courant, Jerren MK Johnson the baby's mother, had been with Settles' mother, Sheila, at their Norwich home on May 10th when the mauling occurred. The family's 8-year-old pit bull mix suddenly ripped the baby from Shiela's arms. Unfortunately, the infant did not survive the attack due to the extent of the injuries. The family has owned the dog since it was a puppy, and it was reportedly unprovoked before the tragedy struck.

The dog has since been euthanised, but it appears as though the couple remained at odds about what transpired. Timothy was not at the scene, but later arrived and drove his mother to the house in Rosemary Street where his girlfriend's friend, Tanzy Hazel, reportedly lived. Apparently, Johnson had gone to her friend to seek comfort after the mauling.

The visit ended in an argument where Settles was heard shouting "You can't blame my mother!"

The mother-son duo later went to Holiday Inn to try to check in, but Timothy continued to be agitated and started drinking in the parking lot. He later decided to drive back to the New London home, but his girlfriend and her friend did not respond. An upstairs neighbour opened the door and spoke to Timothy before telling him that Johnson and Hazel were not there.

The neighbour then went back to her residence upstairs before realising some moments later that the house had been set on fire. Luckily, no one was injured and damage was contained to the front of the house.

Timothy has since been arrested and charged with first-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief.

Pit Bull
Representational image of a pit bull dog. Photo: pixabay