Arson Confirmed in Indiana Fire That Killed 9 Horses

Northern Indiana police say fire investigators have determined that a fire that killed nine horses in a Gary stable was deliberately set.

Gary police Lt. Samuel Roberts said Friday that evidence of an accelerant was found in the ruins of the wooden barn. He said the stable used to board the horses contained bales of hay that fed Thursday night’s fire.

Roberts said the investigation and search for suspects was continuing into the fire, which one horse survived.

The horses’ distraught owners entered the burned building Friday to begin removing the carcasses for disposal.

Alberta Castillo of Gary said she and her husband lost two horses in the fire. She says she can’t imagine “who would have the heart to do that to defenseless animals.”