A Florida man allegedly called his dad to say his house was on fire and asked deputies to take him to jail, and 15 of his dogs never made it out

Terrance Banks is currently in jail after allegedly setting his own home in Geneva on fire, an act that resulted in the deaths of 15 dogs. Authorities state that Banks intentionally poured gasoline across the floors of the residence before using a lit piece of paper to ignite the fuel. The fire reportedly began in the kitchen and quickly engulfed the entire structure, leaving the home a total loss.

As reported by TMZ, the Investigators noted that some of the animals were trapped in crates with no way to escape the flames or smoke. Body camera footage from the scene captures the intensity of the situation as deputies and firefighters arrived to find the house fully engulfed. One deputy can be heard on the recording saying, “Got one dog. The other ones are on the front, cooked in the cage. They’re all upside down.”

The situation became clear to law enforcement shortly after they arrived, as Banks allegedly made his intentions known without prompting. According to the arrest report, he told deputies to take him to jail and later admitted to torching the house during a recorded interview. He had also contacted his father by phone after the fire started to inform him that the house was burning. His father subsequently contacted 911 to relay the information he had received from his son.

The neighbours immediately contacted 911 

Witnesses in the area were aware of the unfolding tragedy as well, as WESH 2 reports. 911 calls placed during the fire captured the sounds of barking and the distress of passersby. One caller reported the incident to a dispatcher, stating, “There’s a fire. It’s fully engulfed. We were just driving by. There are dogs inside. There’s barking. It’s really bad.” 

Another caller described the scene as the fire intensified, noting that dogs were attempting to return to the burning structure. One individual noted, “Oh no, look at them. They are trying to go inside to get their babies.”

While the initial arrest report indicated six dogs had died and five were severely injured, the death toll later rose to 15. Two surviving dogs were initially taken into care, though animal services reported that one of them was declining and required specialized treatment at an emergency veterinarian. 

A neighbor who preferred to remain anonymous described Banks as someone who typically kept to himself and did not allow others to approach the dogs. This neighbor also recalled observing Banks walking back and forth across the street while babbling, behavior they found concerning.

Banks is currently facing charges of second-degree arson and 11 counts of aggravated animal cruelty. He is being held without bond on the arson charge, with an additional $55,000 bond set for the animal cruelty counts. A judge has ordered that he remain in custody while he undergoes a mental health evaluation.