A four year criminal investigation has led to arson charges against Charles Wayne Parrott, 66, of the Tallapoosa county town of New Site. A search warrant was executed Friday (9/18) by the New Site Police Department and the Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office at Parrott's residence on Hamlet Mill Road for evidence related to a fire which occurred in 2005. As a result of this warrant, Parrott was served an Arrest Warrant for Arson Second Degree. Not considered a flight risk because of poor health, Parrott has since been released on bond.
Last month, a Tallapoosa County Grand Jury also returned indictments against James Lynn Wood, 44, and Teresa Ellenbolt, 35, also of New Site in connection to the same fire in 2005. Both Wood and Ellenbolt have previous addresses in Texas and remain in jail under bonds of $75,000 each at this time. The April, 2005 fire which resulted in these charges caused destruction estimated at over a million dollars not only to Parrott's water bottling plant, but the fire also consumed a nearby mobile home, several pieces of heavy equipment, machinery, tractors and vehicles. The investigation by the New Site Police Department and the Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office continues and additional charges are expected to be forthcoming. State Fire Marshal Ed Paulk urges anyone with any information concerning this or any other suspected arson case to please contact th Alabama Arson Hotline at 1-800-654-0775.
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