A Geneva man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly pouring gasoline throughout his home and igniting a fire that killed six dogs and critically injured five others, with authorities still searching for eight missing animals that were reportedly inside the burning residence.

Deadly Blaze Destroys Geneva Home

Terrance Fredrick Banks, 40, was arrested Monday afternoon following a devastating house fire on Snow Hill Road in Geneva that began around 9:30 a.m. Seminole County firefighters arrived to find the structure fully engulfed in flames with multiple dogs trapped inside. The home was completely destroyed and deemed uninhabitable. Five dogs were discovered dead near the front entrance, while a sixth animal that initially escaped later succumbed to its injuries on the front lawn.

Animal control officers managed to rescue four dogs from the burning structure, and a neighbor found a fifth dog alive. All five surviving animals suffered severe burns, smoke inhalation, and other serious injuries requiring immediate emergency veterinary treatment. Investigators reported that several dogs had been confined in crates, preventing their escape from the fire and toxic smoke.

Suspect Makes Unsolicited Admissions

According to the arrest report, Banks made unprompted statements to responding deputies about setting the fire and specifically requested that law enforcement officers transport him to jail. Investigators determined Banks intentionally poured gasoline inside the residence before igniting it. Banks told authorities that 19 dogs had been inside the home at the time of the fire. When the arrest report was completed, officials had only accounted for 11 animals, leaving eight dogs unaccounted for.

Serious Charges and Ongoing Investigation

Banks faces one count of second-degree arson and 11 counts of aggravated animal cruelty. A judge ordered him held without bond on the arson charge pending his initial court appearance. Bond for the 11 animal cruelty charges totaled $27,500. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office requested GPS monitoring if Banks secures release from jail. The State Fire Marshal continues investigating the incident, and authorities were awaiting search warrant results at the time of Banks’s arrest. Portions of Banks’s post-arrest statement were redacted from publicly released documents.