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Fires, break-ins, vandalism, then an arrest in quiet east Louisville neighborhood

While walking through the charred remains of her garage, Katie Boyd pointed to articles of clothes and furniture.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two large estate homes near the Ohio River in east Louisville burned, a vehicle smashed, and glass shattered on a hectic Tuesday night.

As the daylight came, neighbors and investigators saw what happened with more clarity. 

Louisville Metro Police arrested Adam Patrick Baxter, 35, and he was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and theft by unlawful taking/Auto.

Officers said they found Baxter, naked, walking along River Knolls Drive. According to an email from LMPD, he was wrapped in a blue blanket stolen from a vehicle on River Knolls Drive.

Baxter is not currently facing charges in relation to the fires as Louisville Metro Arson continues its investigation.

In the meantime, Katie Boyd and her family are working through the damage.

While walking WHAS11 through the charred remains of her garage, she pointed to articles of clothes and furniture. More than anything, she said, she's thankful her family wasn't home at the time.

As the fire spread at her Woodstone Way home, her neighbor heard a loud bang.

Michael Young described what could've been a fallen picture frame, but it was too loud.

He walked into the dining room where he found shattered glass all over the floor and a man holding what he described as a baseball bat. 

Young yelled and the man ran.

Around the same time, another neighbor's security camera caught a man on video. He was shirtless, walking up to her home with a pick ax and a bottle. He drank from it, spat out the liquid, burped and continued to walk past the house. The video is time-stamped around 10:45 pm. That means firefighters and officers were nearby. 

"It's hard to determine if something is clearly arson right out the gate," Anchorage Middletown Fire Department Maj. Mike Arth said.

When they realized the two house fires were close to each other, he said, they knew it was strange. That's why they called Louisville Metro Arson to take on the investigation.

That being said, the fires have not officially been labeled as arsons.

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