Man Charged With Arson, Unlawful Gun Possession

A St. Clair man was arrested and charged last week after he allegedly tried to burn his neighbor’s home down.

Charles Cotten III, born 1991, has been charged with attempted arson and four counts of unlawful use of a firearm. Cotten is a convicted felon. 

Franklin County sheriff’s deputies seized four firearms during a search of his home June 5.

According to the probable cause statement, the victims stated around midnight on May 27, they heard a loud bang on their roof. They went out the backdoor to find a one-gallon jug on the ground that was ablaze.

It had a rag hanging out the top and a liquid inside was burning.

The victim showed a text message that was sent to them in March 2024. It was allegedly from Cotten and said “I’m going to enjoy listening to your screams of torment as you burn inside your trailer.”

Deputies responded to Cotten’s home in the 6200 block of Dry Branch Road, which is in direct proximity and connected by land to the victim’s property.

Cotten was not cooperative, and claimed he had been home all night with an ankle monitor to prove it.

A large plastic container was found in Cotten’s driveway with a “long john” rag.

Deputies were contacted June 2 by the victims, who had received text messages from Cotten. Cotten said he had thrown a “fire bomb” and made several statements about burning up the whole hillside.

He also allegedly admitted to trying to burn the victims’ home down and it was a warning of what he was capable.

Deputies went back to Cotten’s home June 5 and located a 9mm pistol with a full magazine and one round in the chamber; an AR-15 and two .22 long rifles.

Cotten reportedly displayed the 9mm pistol during an argument with neighbors and discharged the gun in other reports taken by deputies.