At 4:21 AM Christmas eve morning (Thursday Dec. 24th), deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a structure fire at a residence on Sain Road in Hickory. Deputies and Sheriff’s Investigators partnered with the Catawba County Fire Marshal’s Office in determining the cause of this fire to be arson.
As the investigation progressed, April Dawn Atwood, a 41-year-old Taylorsville woman, was identified as a suspect. Atwood is an acquaintance of the resident of the Sain Road address. Atwood was arrested and charged with First Degree Arson. She was assigned a $15,000 secured bond. She will have a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on Monday (12/28/20).