Burbank man charged with arson, animal cruelty

A Burbank man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly starting a fire in a house that resulted in injury to a dog.

Nakoda R. Dunham, 35, is charged with second-degree arson, first-degree animal cruelty and first-degree malicious mischief.

According to court documents, Dunham is accused of getting into an altercation with his mother at his mother's Burbank house on Sunday, May 10.

The probable cause affidavit filed by the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office accuses Dunham of then entering the garage at the home to retrieve some of his belongings.

He's accused of closing hallway doors that were earlier open and starting a fire in the garage. The resident of the home, Dunham's mother, was able to get two of her three dogs out of the house, according to the affidavit.

The third dog was trapped behind a closed door and had to be rescued by firefighters, who performed life-saving procedures, including compressions, to get the animal breathing again.

According to the affidavit, the dog suffered burns to its face and coat but survived.

Dunham later told police that although he was smoking inside the garage, he had no knowledge of a fire.

A witness, according to documents, told police that he saw a man matching Dunham's description exiting the home while flames were coming from the building. The witness said the man got into a truck and took off at a high speed.

About $41,000 of property damage was done in the fire, according to court documents.

Dunham was booked into the Walla Walla County Jail and Walla Walla County Superior Court Judge Brandon L. Johnson set his bail at $30,000. As of Friday, May 15, Dunham was still in custody, according to the jail roster.

At his Thursday, May 14, arraignment, Dunham pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for Monday, July 6.

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