Chelsea business fire ruled arson
A fire at a Chelsea business last year has been ruled an arson by the owner.
A call was placed to 911 at 5:30 p.m. on December 8, 2019 regarding a fire at The Ditsy Daisy, located at 16383 Highway 280 Chelsea. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and Chelsea Fire and Rescue Department responded to the call.
After the fire was extinguished, the preliminary investigation led them to believe the cause of the fire was suspicious. Both departments began investigating and worked together following the incident.
Warrants were recently signed for two people, both turned themselves into the Shelby County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 22 before being released on bond.
The store’s owner, Cynthia Michelle Butts, 32, from Sylacauga has been charged with Arson 2nd and Criminal Mischief 1st. Her total bonds were $25,000.
Terry Noil Parnell, 61 from Sylacauga, was charged with Hindering Prosecution and had a bond of $10,000.
Both Butts and Parnell surrendered to the Shelby County Jail on Oct. 22 and before being released on bond.
A press release from the Shelby County Sheriff's Department on Oct. 23 said that anyone with additional information about the case to call the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 205-670-6000. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777, or on their website at crimestoppersmetroal.com.
For more information on the crimes charged, you can view the Alabama Criminal Code. Select Title 13A and Chapter 7 for the charges of Arson 2nd and Criminal Mischief 1st and Chapter 10 for the charge of Hindering Prosecution. To view a booking photo, go to shelbyso.com, and select the Jail tab, or select the Inmate Listing tab near the bottom of the page. On the inmate listing page, select the button for “Release in the Last Thirty Days.”