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Andrews – A local man has been arrested on charges of arson and other felonies involving a family and their businesses.
Cecil Cable, 50, of West Road in Andrews, is being held at the Cherokee County Detention Facility in Murphy on several felony counts of arson, assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond.
In one case, Cable is being held for a Feb. 17 second-degree arson involving a house at 1534 Main St., which was occupied by David Higdon, and burning an unoccupied commercial structure – a storage building holding hay and a tractor, according to court records.
In another case, Cable is accused of Jan. 31 assault with a deadly weapon, injury to real property and second-degree trespass related to a house at 4289 Pisgah Road occupied by David Higdon and Meredith Higdon.
Cable is also accused of the July 23 second-degree arson of an uninhabited house at 52 Robbinsville Road involving an uninhabited house and unoccupied commercial structure owned by David Higdon.
State arson investigators were investigating a suspicious commercial fire that destroyed offices for two businesses in Andrews on July 23.
Higdon Construction at 52 Robbinsville Road and an adjacent building housing Bateman Trucking’s office were destroyed during the early morning fire.
Higdon Construction is owned by David and Meredith Higdon. Bateman Trucking is owned by the Higdons’ daughter, Cynthia Bateman and her husband James Bateman.
The fire was reported at 4:49 a.m. July 23 and controlled at 6:30 a.m. The fire is being classified as an “incendiary fire” and suspicious in nature.
The trucking company occupied David Higdon’s childhood home, Meredith Higdon said. That building was destroyed. The Higdon Construction building’s roof caught fire and collapsed during firefighting efforts, covering the offices with roof debris and water.
Cherokee County tax records list the value of the destroyed buildings at $263,250.