Seattle man charged after allegedly punching dog and setting tent on fire

A Seattle man was charged on Wednesday for a series of incidents on Jan. 14, including punching a dog and setting a woman’s tent on fire.

Jerome Curry Jr. was charged with arson in the first degree, domestic violence felony violation, felony harassment and animal cruelty in the second degree.

According to court documents, police received a report around 4:27 p.m. on Jan. 14 of a man hitting a woman near the 7100 block of Seaview Avenue Northwest in Seattle.

When officers arrived, a witness directed the officers to Curry Jr., at which point he was detained for questioning.

Officers contacted the woman, who was crying, shaking and holding her dog.

She explained to officers that she had recently moved her tent to the area in hopes to stay safe and away from Curry Jr.

She believed Curry Jr. was stalking her and had previously assaulted her several times before.

Around 4:20 p.m., Curry Jr. found her and her tent and began to yell obscenities at her.

According to court documents, Curry Jr. began punching and slapping her in the face.

When the woman began yelling for help, Curry Jr. kicked and punched her dog.

Curry Jr. then took flammable hand sanitizer and doused the woman’s tent and set it ablaze.

All of the woman’s belongings were destroyed in the fire.

According to the woman, as Curry Jr. was lighting the tent on fire, he was making threats to kill her, her unborn baby and her current boyfriend.

Curry Jr. told officers he had come to the area for a “BBQ.”

He said the woman punched him twice and was yelling at him, when he slapped her twice in the face because he was “pissed.”

He told officers he knew there was a court order in place and that he wasn’t supposed to contact her.

According to police, Curry Jr. confessed to lighting the tent on fire.

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