A 32-year-old Kitsap County woman has been charged with arson and domestic violence. Officials said Sydney Coles deliberately set fire to her ex-boyfriend’s home on the morning of August 6. The fire not only completely destroyed Brian Kaes’ home, but also killed his dog, Ocean.
“It’s horrific,” Kaes said.
Court documents allege Coles and another man came to the house and Coles began vandalizing the house and cars outside.
“She destroyed the entire inside of the house and broke a number of windows,” Kaes said.
The man later told investigators and Kaes that Coles began pouring gasoline on himself and Ocean.
“He said he heard the dogs howling and he said he walked in and saw her holding Ocean and she had the needle holding the dog and injecting her,” Kaes said.
Documents allege Coles injected the dog with chemicals. The man who was there said he grabbed the other dog, Max, and ran. Documents show Coles threatened the man and told him he had 15 minutes to leave before she set the house on fire. Kaes came home that morning, completely devastated.
“I was screaming trying to find Max where the dog was and then they got her out of the bushes and took her on a stretcher and she was covered in gasoline and paint and she had spray-painted my car and my truck,” he said. said.
Kaes has now been reunited with Max. He credits the man for saving him.
“He saved Max’s life, but he said he couldn’t catch Ocean because she was in the middle of the house and started throwing gasoline everywhere,” he said.
Kaes told us it will cost at least $25,000 just to remove the debris from his property. The house had been in Kaes’ family for more than 60 years.
“It’s all a total loss, the roof is gone and I’ve lost everything I’ve ever owned, everything I’ve kept since I was a kid,” he said.
Coles has been charged with arson and domestic violence.
“I really want justice for Ocean and it’s so sickening to do that to a sweet, cuddly dog,” Kaes said.
He did set up a GoFundMe to help pay for the damages. If you want to help, go here.
