INDIANA MAN ALLEGEDLY SET HIS SEVERED GENITALS ON FIRE
A Fort Wayne garage fire led to an arson charge for a man who allegedly set his own severed genitals ablaze there.
Christopher Peden, 36, was arrested and charged with arson over a fire in the garage of his mother’s home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The fire happened on May 6, 2026.
Peden initially told officers he had been stabbed downtown, USA TODAY reported.
Court documents cited by FOX59 said Peden later called that account “dishonest” and said he “wanted to be truthful.”
What police say he admitted
Family members told first responders that Peden was missing while crews dealt with the garage fire.
Peden then told investigators he had “harmed himself,” and the documents quote him describing it as “cutting off his penis.” He admitted the injury was self-inflicted and that he started the fire.
He told police he used a kitchen knife in the garage, poured gasoline on the severed genitals, set them on fire and left. The documents quote him saying he “set it on fire on the floor of the garage just inside the door.”
Investigators collected the remains of a red gasoline container, four lighters and a kitchen knife near the fire scene, according to the court documents.
What happened next
Peden was charged with one count of Level 4 felony arson, PEOPLE reported.
At an initial hearing on July 2, 2026, a judge set his bond at $10,000, The Independent reported.
A $10,000 surety bond was posted on July 7, 2026, and Peden was released from custody, court records showed.
His attorney, David Felts, had been retained. Asked about Peden’s response to the allegations, Felts told The Independent, “no comment.” The Allen County Prosecutor’s Office said it had no additional information to share.
Peden was scheduled to return to court on July 13, 2026, and again on August 31, 2026.
Online court records also showed a prior Allen County conviction for operating while intoxicated, PEOPLE reported.
Peden’s brother James faces a separate alleged arson case involving a car, WANE 15 reported. That is a distinct case from Christopher’s.
On October 14, 2026, International Business Times UK reported that Peden was out on the $10,000 surety bond and awaiting trial. The arson charge remains pending.
